Katy ISD Partners with K9 Unit for Additional School Safety; Urges Parents to be Part of the Process

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

September 26, 2024

By Natalie Cook Clark

Katy ISD has announced a new partnership with Covenant K9 Detection Services as an additional layer of school security. The partnership starts this week, but District officials still urge parents and community members to be part of the process of keeping students and staff safe.

Photo credits: Katy ISD

Random Sweeps for Secondary Schools

Starting this week, the Katy ISD Police Department is partnering with Covenant K9 Detection Services. This additional layer of security will include random sweeps of secondary campuses and parking lots throughout the year.

“We are committed to using all available tools to keep our students and staff safe,” says Katy ISD Police Chief Henry Gaw. “These K9 teams will enhance and strengthen our already robust safety measures across the district.”

Covenant K9 Detection Services specializes in training canines and handlers and providing weapons and narcotics detection support for schools and other industries. A Katy ISD police officer will work alongside a K9 handler and a trained canine for school sweeps.

Katy ISD has long employed K9 units as part of its specialized security teams, and this new partnership extends that capability. The district will now outsource the training and management of the canines, adopting a cost-effective approach while still delivering a comprehensive safety and security strategy.

Parents, Community Members Crucial in Keeping Schools Safe

Dr. Ken Gregorski, Katy ISD Superintendent sent an email out to Katy ISD families earlier this week stressing that while academics remains at the core of their mission, the safety of the students and staff is equally paramount in the year ahead.

He discussed the latest partnership with Covenant K9 Detection Services but stressed that parents and community members still need to be involved.

“Even with these extensive security protocols in place, the role of parents and community members in maintaining school safety remains critical,” says Dr. Ken Gregorski. “We urge parents to speak with their children about the importance of school safety, emphasizing that jokes or threats of violence, as well as bringing prohibited items to school, are unacceptable.”

Since the start of school in August, several Katy ISD schools have actively investigated threats. All have turned out to not be actually threats other than students making comments.

“These incidents require law enforcement and school staff to devote significant time to conduct thorough investigations, including interviewing witnesses, evaluating evidence, coordinating with partner agencies, and, in some cases, detaining individuals,” says Dr. Gregorski. “Every inappropriate remark, threat, or concerning behavior is treated with the utmost seriousness and may result in severe consequences, including potential criminal repercussions.”

Katy ISD encourages students, parents, staff, and community members to utilize their free SpeakUp app, an anonymous reporting system. You can learn more about the app and how to download the free app to your devices here.

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