San Antonio – In the wake of the Uvalde shooting, Northeast ISD announced Monday it’s bringing on a soon-to-be-former U.S. Secret Service special agent to fill a brand-new district security position.
A 29-year veteran of the federal agency, Paul Duran is currently the head the of the San Antonio Secret Service Field Office. According to an NEISD news release announcing his hiring, Duran is wrapping up his time with the Secret Service and beginning work at NEISD on Oct. 3.
“School safety and security, much like presidential protection, involves a system of interrelated elements that need to work together,” said Duran in the release. “Beyond the physical protection measures, a comprehensive approach encompasses response and recovery, as well as prevention, mental health support, anti-bullying programs and school culture.”
As the Senior Director of Safety and Security, the district says Duran will “provide the strategic direction and leadership for the administration and coordination of the NEISD safety and security program. Additionally, he will develop, establish and enforce safety and security policies and procedures. He will also conduct threat assessments and train staff on how to de-escalate situations.”
To NEISD Police Chief Wally McCampbell, the position is a “must have.”
While the chief said his department and the district’s Risk Management Office have been doing similar work, the new position will be solely focused on safety and security protocols.
“I can only maybe spend 30 minutes one day focusing on that when I’m dealing with other, say, criminal activity or something going on throughout the district,” McCampbell said. “And so those little safety stuff kind of get left — kind of, ‘We’ll do it when we have time to do it.’ Whereas this person — you’ll have time to do it because that’s all he’ll be doing.”
While Duran will report directly to the superintendent, he’ll work closely with NEISD Police and the Risk Management Office, according to the release.
“You know, my job as as law enforcement is to handle an active shooter -= and I’ll just say active shooter — where his job is going to prevent that active shooter,” McCampbell said.
“We want to be proactive and make sure that we’re doing everything we can and looking at that 24/7 you know, during every school year instead of wait until the next story hits.”
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