Austin I.S.D. Police Department
About Us
The Austin ISD Police Department is divided into five bureaus, the North Uniform Services Bureau, South Uniform Services Bureau, Criminal Investigations Bureau, Professional Standards Bureau, and the Support Services Bureau:
North & South Uniform Services Bureau
The Uniform Services Bureau oversees the Austin ISD Police School Resource Officer Program, Patrol Division, Mental Health Unit, K9 Unit, and Courier Services.
- School Resource Officers (SROs) help provide a safe and secure environment for AISD students, employees and visitors by deterring and disrupting criminal activities, enforcing Local and State laws, mentoring students, and providing educational presentations. There are two SROs assigned to each high school campus, and one SRO assigned to each middle school campus. Most SROs are certified mental health officers who provide emergency mental health assessments, and are trained in crisis intervention techniques. All SROs are a vital part of their campus crisis management teams and are responsible for the safety and security of critical incidents occurring on or near their campuses, requiring extensive knowledge of neighboring communities.
- Patrol officers actively patrol campuses and facilities, respond to calls for service, conduct traffic safety and enforcement patrols, provide educational presentations, and assist area law enforcement agencies as needed. Each patrol officer is responsible for providing a safe and secure learning and working environment for the elementary schools within their assigned area. Patrol officers assist SROs assigned to secondary campuses when additional officers are needed.
- Mental Health Officers: Every Austin ISD Police Officer is required to attend a week-long Mental Health Certification Course that teaches the officers how to best support any student, staff, or community member who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. One Detective serves as a Mental Health Coordinator, and acts as a liaison between our officers and the District and local mental health resources. Even after certification, our officers receive mental health and crisis intervention training on a regular basis.
- The Austin ISD K-9 Unit, established in 2000, currently has one narcotics detection team. K-9 officers and their handlers regularly appear at civic organizations, visit campuses to educate and demonstrate their abilities to students, provide patrol support for athletics and special events, and conduct sniffs for items on campus. To schedule a canine presentation for your organization or campus, please call AISD Police at 512-414-1703, or email us at aisdpd@austinisd.org.
Current K-9 Officer:
K9 Officer Korzi is a 5-year-old Labrador/Pointer mix who joined the Department in 2020. K9 Korzi is trained in the detection of illegal narcotics. K9 Korzi's handler is Officer Roel Castillo, who has been with the department since April 2018. K9 Korzi is extremely special to our department because he was named after Travis County Sheriff's Office Senior Deputy Christopher Korzilius, who died in the line of duty in March of 2018. Prior to serving with the sheriff's office, Deputy Korzilius served with Austin ISD Police Department for three years.
- Courier Division: Responsible for the collection, safeguard and delivery of district funds when they have to be transferred between AISD schools/facilities. The Courier Division is also responsible for the delivery of all court and law enforcement related documents throughout Travis County.
- Small Unmanned Aerial Support (UAS) Team is a specialized unit that operates small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for various law enforcement and safety purposes, with a mission to provide aerial support to Department and District personnel to ensure our students have a safe place to learn and succeed. UAS teams deploy UAVs for search and rescue operations, monitoring crowds at public events, campus traffic assessments, assessing accident or crime scenes from above, aerial observation during criminal investigations, or clearing the interior of buildings or other areas. Our UAVs are equipped with high-resolution, state-of-the-art cameras and thermal technology that can provide critical real-time data to officers on the ground. Pilots are licensed through the FAA Part 107, participate in extensive training, and operate UAVs in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal laws and District policies.
Criminal Investigations Bureau
The Criminal Investigations Bureau is responsible for the oversight of the Criminal Investigations Division, Digital Forensics, Evidence, and the Body Camera Program.
- Criminal Investigations Division: comprised of four Detectives and a Lieutenant who oversee and investigate major incidents and offenses occurring on district property, personnel investigations for the human resources department, internal investigations of department officers and allegations of child abuse occurring on AISD property.
- Digital Forensics: The Digital Forensics Unit assists the Criminal Investigations Division through the forensic analysis and evidence collection of electronic media, including but not limited to computers and cell phones, that is suspected of being used in the commission of a crime.
- Forensic Evidence Technician: The Forensic Evidence Technician assists the Criminal Investigations Division by processing crime scenes and documenting and collecting evidence. Once collected, they are responsible for the safe and secure storage of all evidence collected during the course of a criminal investigation, along with any evidence submitted by an officer during the course of their investigation. The Forensic Evidence Technician is also responsible for preparing evidence to be presented in court.
- Body Camera Program: The Austin ISD Police Department has been utilizing body cameras since approximately 2009. Every officer is assigned a body camera, and is required to record and download all law enforcement contacts to a secure server. The Criminal Investigations Division assists in ensuring body camera video files are labeled and categorized for evidence retention and accountability.
Professional Standards Bureau
The Professional Standards Bureau is responsible for the oversight of the Crisis Intervention Team, Training and Recruiting Division, the Texas Police Chief’s Accreditation and Recognition Program, Planning and Research, and Staff and Inventory Inspections.
- Crisis Intervention Team: Consists of four officers and a Supervisor who have two primary purposes: to respond to emergency calls involving a mental health crisis within AISD, and connecting those in a mental health crisis with appropriate services in hopes of diverting them from the criminal justice system. While all AISDPD officers are certified Mental Health Officers, our Crisis Intervention Team receives more specialized training, and directly engages in community and school district partnerships. This team was designed to improve the way law enforcement and the community respond to people experiencing a mental health crisis.
- Training and Recruiting Division: Responsible for the recruitment, hiring, and training of new police officers. Also responsible for preparing, scheduling, and providing training to all officers in order to meet the training requirements and mandates set forth by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
- Texas Police Chief’s Association Recognition Program:
Responsible for reviewing Department policies and procedures to ensure they are in compliance with 166 Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices developed to ensure our agency is providing an efficient and effective law enforcement service, reducing risk, and protecting individual rights
- Planning and Research: Responsible for the research, testing, planning, and implementation of new equipment, technology, training, and practices that help ensure the safety of officers and District stakeholders.
- Staff Inspections: The Professional Standards Bureau ensures that inspections of officer equipment, officers, and patrol vehicles are conducted on a routine basis to ensure Department property and assets are maintained, functioning, and safe for daily use.
- Internal Affairs: Responsible for the thorough investigation of allegations of wrongdoing made against Department employees, including violations of Department policies and criminal laws. The Internal Affairs division reports directly to the Chief of Police. Please notify us if you are aware of misconduct, and we will investigate thoroughly, objectively, and without prejudice. If you would like to share feedback, please visit the “Policies and Complaints” tab on our website.
Support Services Bureau
The Support Services Bureau is made up of primarily civilian personnel who assist the Department in the mission of ensuring a safe and secure environment for our students, staff and visitors. The Support Services Bureau is overseen by the Administrative Services Lieutenant, and is comprised of the Communications Division, Budget and Payroll, Data and Records, District ID Badges, and Security Guard personnel.
- Communications Center provides a communication hub for the Department and the District 24/7, year-round. Dispatchers receive calls for police, fire, or medical service within the District and then dispatch Austin ISD police officers, the Austin Fire Department, and/or Austin-Travis County EMS as needed. The Communications Center is also responsible for the monitoring of security, surveillance and fire alarm systems within the District. The Austin ISD Police Communications Center has direct communication capabilities with other local emergency services and first responder agencies should the need arise. Calls made to 911 from within the District are routed through the Central Texas Emergency Communications Center (CTECC) and then to Austin ISD Police dispatch for immediate response.
- Budget and Payroll: Staff are responsible for the management of the annual Department budget, analyzing the budget for future needs or modifications, and ensuring Department purchases are cataloged and paid on time. Staff are also responsible for communicating with the AISD Payroll and Leave offices to ensure Department employees are paid accurately and in a timely manner.
- Data and Records: Responsible for the quality control of every report written by our officers, the organization of these records, and the preparation of records to be forwarded to court. Data and Records staff must be fluent in the National Incident Based Reporting System to ensure the data in our police reports are reflected accurately in national reporting systems. Staff are also responsible for the timely response to requests for open records. To obtain a copy of a report, a request must be made in writing. The easiest way is to email openrecords@austinisd.org. There is a standard waiting period of 10 business days to locate and prepare the report for release. You will be notified when the report is ready and when and where it can be retrieved. Please note that information related to a case still under investigation or pending court cannot be released, and some cases are ineligible for release.
- District ID Badging: Austin ISD Police provide security access badges to District and relevant non-district employees. Additional information can be found on the “ID Badges” tab of our website.
