Round Rock ISD names Dennis Weiner district police chief

Round Rock ISD announced its selection of Dennis Weiner as its new police chief July 15 following the departure of Jeff Yarbrough in April.

Per the announcement, Weiner will begin his time as RRISD chief of police in August.

“I am honored and excited to be selected to lead the Round Rock ISD Police Department,” Weiner said in the release. “I intend to build upon the solid foundation laid by Chief Yarborough and to strengthen the department’s ability to provide a safe and secure learning environment for the students and staff of Round Rock ISD."

With over 30 years of experience in law enforcement, Weiner will oversee campus safety and security, according to the district. His duties will include the development of emergency responses and continued oversight of training in areas related to school-based law enforcement, restorative practices, behavioral health practices and implicit bias for the department.

"Having dealt with school policing challenges resulting from tragedies and the pandemic over the last several years at one of the largest districts in the country, I feel prepared and ready to move the department forward as it prepares for its own challenges of the future," Weiner said in the release. "We will focus on prevention, intervention, and diversion to reduce the likelihood of an emergency but will be ready to respond should one befall us.”

Weiner holds several degrees, including a bachelor’s in legal studies from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a Master’s of Public Administration from Harvard University and a juris doctor from St. John’s University School of Law in New York, according to the district.