Craig Miller spent more than three decades in law enforcement and seven years as police chief at Dallas ISD.
He now does consulting work on matters of school safety.
Miller said Monday’s threat of an armed student on the campus of Pioneer Technology Arts & Academy in Mesquite underscores the need for strong relationships between schools and law enforcement.
“It’s really following the training that you do. You’re going to perform how you practice,” Miller said.
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He says charter and private schools present a unique challenge compared to public districts that often have police officers on campus every day.
“Municipal departments that have [school resource officers] in their schools have a much better working relationship or a different relationship than those that might be working with charter schools,” Miller said.
“The first time a charter school principal or administrator has any contact with law enforcement at a higher level shouldn’t be in the middle of a crisis,” Miller said.
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Lt. Brandon Ricketts with Mesquite Police said officers had visited the Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy campus once before when the school requested a site survey last fall. The department would not disclose the changes suggested due to the “sensitive nature of the recommendations” but said common suggestions often include universal access for doors, limited entry and clearly marked room numbers and camera positioning.
Miller said all schools and nearby agencies that would respond to an active shooter should be involved in repeated and ongoing training together.
“The best way for you to know where to go is to have been to that school before and to have practiced and planned,” Miller said.
In response to the 2022 shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, state lawmakers passed House Bill 3 which now requires an armed person at every public and charter school in the state.
Mesquite police told NBC 5 Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy campus did have an armed person on campus Monday but they were not involved in the incident.
Miller says a successful outcome and lives depend on proactive planning and preparation.
“If it’s a coordinated effort on each side it’s easier to accomplish," Miller said. "This is a much bigger ongoing problem that will always be coming up."
