BISD Press Release – The Brownwood Independent School District, in partnership with the Brownwood Police Department, was one of only ten school districts in the state selected to take part in a research project to better understand the daily encounters of school-based law enforcement. The research project, being conducted by the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University, is one of the first academic attempts to better understand the dynamic and changing roles and duties of law enforcement officers in Texas Schools.
The Brownwood Police Department has partnered with the Brownwood ISD District dating back to 1996 to provide a School Resource Officer for District campuses. Officer Fred Bastardo has served as the School Resource Officer since 2010. During his daily duties, Officer Bastardo works with the more than 3,700 students of all ages and 600 BISD staff across 10 campuses.
“This is a great opportunity for us to document the mentoring and positive work Officer Bastardo and School Resource Officers like him across the state engage in daily,” said Brownwood Police Chief Terry Nichols. “We enjoy a wonderful working relationship with the District and value our longstanding partnership to provide a safe and secure environment on our local campuses.”
BISD Superintendent Dr. Joe Young stated, “The safety and security of our students and staff is the top priority for the district. Without that setting, no learning or worthwhile achievement is going to take place. The Brownwood PD and the School Resource Officer position have been instrumental in setting this culture. We are proud to have been selected to share our practices with other districts and departments across the state through Texas State University.”
