This past school year was a time of fear for many students around the country. It is important to know that many threats are preventable, and the Klein ISD Police Department has been taking active measures to prepare campuses and students in the event of an emergency.
The Klein ISD Police Department, located on Louetta, have launched the Keep Klein Safe campaign that encourages anyone who hears or sees something that leads them to believe someone may act violently to report their behavior to Klein PD as soon as possible. Community members can visit Keep Klein Safe in order to report a threat or ask a question regarding safety. Klein ISD Police also gives out free gun locks to anyone who walks in and requests one. This gives anyone the opportunity to make sure that their firearms are secure and kept safe.
“My priority is ensure the safety of every student, staff member, and parent on Klein ISD campuses,” Chief Kimberly said.
“When an individual fills out that form they can comment, leave concerns, question, or report a threat. They fill it out and at the bottom it requires a name and email. Right below that there is a spot where you can request that you are kept anonymous from the school district,” Chief David Kimberly said. “Students need to know that there is a place where they can go to report a threat anonymously.”
Chief Kimberly from the Klein ISD police department informed that other schools have been utilizing similar programs. Klein ISD’s program has an excellent response time to reports that help protect students from potential threats. Despite the budget shortfall, there has been the addition of six new police positions to schools. Police officers have been placed at every intermediate school, as well as the officers at the high schools.
“Our school liaison officers are roaming the district all day, every day. Adding those positions has cut our response times and has made it so that we don’t have to pull officers from high schools to answer calls at the other schools,” Kimberly said. “Every one of our elementary schools now requires that you ring a doorbell and provide identification. These schools are now locked down 100% so that we can protect students.”
The Klein ISD Police Department has conducted over 15,000 unique walk-throughs and drive-throughs last school year. They have also partnered with Harris County constable Mark Herman to train around 250 deputies in active shooter response. Part of that agreement is that Herman has HCSO deputies on call ready to assist Klein ISD if an active shooter event were to occur. This helps to protect students and increase police presence on campus.
Klein ISD does not take violence on campus lightly and addresses all threats immediately. Students are encouraged to speak up if they hear or see anything that leads them to believe someone is a danger. Keep Klein Safe is an excellent place to report any concerns regarding safety at Klein ISD schools. Reporting such information to teachers or staff can be vital in protecting students.
