Called the Axon Citizen for Communities, the new online portal will allow users to upload videos, pictures and documents that will be used by police officials. Its introduction is part of an effort to build transparency by giving community members a direct way to contact the department online, according to a Nov. 15 HISD news release.
“We have always said that safety is a collaborative effort, and we want to make the collaboration easier,” HISD Police Chief Pedro Lopez said in a statement.
The portal for HISD is now operational and can be found here.
Once on the web page, visitors click a "submit evidence" link at the bottom of the page. Users enter an email address, where they will receive a private link to the website where evidence files can be uploaded, according to the release. The private link expires after three days.
Users must also provide the police with their their name, birth date, address and phone number to make a submission, which officers may use to contact the user to ask follow-up questions to verify the submission. Any evidence uploaded will remain property of HISD, according to the release.
Axon Citizen was first introduced by the law enforcement technology company Axon in 2017. The new portal is being introduced as HISD tries to bolster safety and security measures amid an intense national focus on school safety in the wake of several mass shootings, including one in Uvalde, Texas.
Prior to the portal's launch, HISD also used an anonymous reporting system and directed people to use a 24-hour hotline at 713-892-7777.
At a Nov. 3 HISD Safety and Security Committee meeting, Lopez said he has ordered an additional eight hours of active shooter training for HISD officers since the shooting in Uvalde, including breaching techniques, use of shields and more hands-on scenario techniques.
