The rise of school violence has been in the news during the past few weeks.  On behalf of the Galveston Independent School District Police Department, I would like to share with you some of ways the district is working to keep our students safe inside and outside of school. 

All GISD campuses have one main entrance designated.  We have also made an effort to remind all staff that they should frequently check exteriors doors to make sure they are secure.  We all know how dangerous it can be when an intruder enters a campus.   

Last year, all GISD campuses began using V●Soft (visitor student or faculty tracking), a web-based software to screen visitors.  The program screens a visitor’s driver’s license checking for registered sex offenders, parents with restraining orders, and it also tracks visitors.  V●Soft uses available Texas sex offender databases to screen for potential registered offenders.  Staff can also go online to check nationally on criminalcheck.com.  

We are requiring visitors and volunteers to present their drivers licenses when they check-in at the front office.  The office staff prints out a name badge with a photo of the guest as well as their destination.  We encourage our staff to stop anyone who does not have a guest badge or staff identification.  At Ball High School and our middle schools, students are required to wear their identification.  Of course, there is always room for improvement as far as students and staff consistently displaying their IDs.  We are planning to train all our staff, including support personnel, to greet and question strangers or report them to the office if they feel they might be an intruder. 

Parents should also follow the rules by checking into to the office, presenting their driver’s license and wearing appropriate identification. 

To help students become safer in their own homes, GISD Police Officer Gene Wilganowski is speaking to students about Internet safety using a program called NetSmartz.  The NetSmartz Workshop is an interactive, educational safety resource from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.  The software includes workshops for kindergarten through second graders, third- through sixth-graders, as well as middle and high school students.  Presentations are also available for parents and community groups.   

As you may be aware, there have been several car accidents this year where students received minor or major injuries.  All drivers, including new drivers, should slow down in school zones.  We work cooperatively with the Galveston Police Department to monitor traffic but our role is primarily to make sure that students are making a smooth transition as they enter and leave campuses.  GPD schedules motorcycle officers on a rotating basis covering the district’s campuses.  In addition to monitoring the exterior of buildings, police or safety officers provide security inside its secondary schools when the doors open for students.  In addition, the district’s crossing guards have been directed to notify GISD police of speeding drivers.   

We appreciate the support of this community and encourage you to contact us at 766-5824 to report any suspicious activity or speeding drivers.