SAN ANTONIO — Survivors of the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 children and 2 teachers are pleading to lawmakers for change, including more security at schools.
With questions surrounding security in Uvalde, KENS5 broadened the scope, with a look at all school districts in San Antonio, raising the question of who is protecting the students and how are they trained.
“I told her that we need help and to send the police,” a survivor, Miah Cerillo said in a video testimony to Congress Wednesday.
As the grim details of what happened inside Robb Elementary School two weeks ago emerge, the world is hearing directly from students. ‘Safer’ is the message.
“[I want to] have security,” Cerillo said. “I don’t want it to happen again.”
KENS5 wanted to know, as it stands, how are other districts protecting our children and teachers? We learned, not everyone is protected the same.
Northeast Independent School District is among the districts with its own police force.
The district is made up of 60,000 students across 70 campuses, a spokesperson told KENS5.
Its police force is comprised of 70 officers at full staffing, led by Police Chief Wally McCampbell.
The officers are undergo 40 hours of the state mandated TCOLE training every two years, an active shooter course and Stop the Bleed training.
Harlandale Independent School District’s police force encompasses 26 officers, led by Police Chief Adolfo Hernandez, protecting 11,000 students across 23 campuses.
A spokesperson for the district confirmed four of the district officers still need Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, also known as ALERRT training, the same training Gov. Greg Abbott requested all Texas school district undergo Monday.
Alamo Heights Independent School District uses school resource officers, or SRO, for security.
The resource officers are Alamo Heights police officers, a spokesperson for the district said but did not elaborate on any additional active shooter training.
Alamo Heights ISD has 4,800 students throughout five campuses.
Both Lackland Independent School District and Fort Sam Houston Independent School District told KENS5 the districts rely on military base forces as their security.
“There is a value to having a school-based police officer, whether that’s a school resource officer or a district police officer to be the first responder,” President of National School Safety and Security Services, Ken Trump said.
Trump elaborated by saying there are layers to security, adding that districts not only have to be staffed and trained, but also prepared.
“The question often arises whether or not they have the skill set the training the experience to handle major crime,” Trump said. “There is a difference between being trained and implementing that training.”
The importance of making sure your teachers and staff are as well trained was stressed by Trump too, urging districts to not put the proper training with the proper time on the back burner.
KENS reached out to 19 San Antonio school districts. Check back for more updates as district officials respond.