Police force comes to Cy–Fair ISD

"We have already replaced the Precinct 4 deputies with a presence at individual high schools and most middle schools," he said. "What we have found in the group we hired is that [they] have hit the ground running and are ready to deliver a great level of law enforcement service in a school district setting."

An additional 10 former CFISD campus security officers have retired, resigned or relocated to other positions, Bragg said. In total, the district's police department will house the 40 officers already hired along with the seven members of the command staff and 22 security officer positions.

"As for the district police department, we were very cautious to hire officers with school district experience with the attributes and training to deal with students on a daily basis," said Bragg, who was able to handpick a majority of the officers hired. "I think when you have your own [police department], you establish a connection with those people. Having in-house [employees] gives us a direct connection to the district, the students and the community."

Bragg's experience in law enforcement spans nearly 40 years, beginning in 1972 as an officer with the City of Wichita Falls. From there, Bragg performed duties for Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls before transferring to Houston ISD as a lieutenant. Bragg came to CFISD after serving as chief of police in Spring ISD for 21 years.

"In 1991, we had 16,000 students in Spring ISD when I started that department," Bragg said. "We had to do the same things we are doing here, but with 110,000 students. The sheer size makes a significant difference. Once you know the key components you have to implement—resources, vehicles, radio systems—and then you select the right people, the rest is just numbers."