HISD's Project Safe Start places officers and ministers at campuses for back to school
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston ISD Police Department is launching its annual campaign to keep students and teachers safe during the upcoming school year, but school police aren't doing it alone.
Houston police and HISD police say there will be extra officers on campuses as the school year starts, and local ministers will be in schools, too. It's a coordinated effort to keep kids safe.
Over the past 30 years, HISD police and Ministers Against Crime have collaborated on Project Safe Start.
The partnership aims to prevent crime and provide additional security for students and teachers.
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"We will increase our presence and are assessing key locations that we have determined, and will warrant the safety of our kids and our teachers," Assistant Chief Ban Tien said.
The project doesn't just mean increased law enforcement presence at and near schools. Students can also expect to see ministers walking the halls.
"Now it has become so crazy. So many things are happening in our communities that I never thought I would see in my lifetime. Our kids are our priority," Pastor Floyd N. Williams with Project Safe Schools said.
School safety is a major priority for districts across the state for back to school after 19 students and two teachers were killed in the Uvalde shooting in May.
The additional officers will be available at the start of school in elementary, middle and high schools across the district. They'll also be available as needed throughout the year.
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