With the help of newly hired Alan Bragg, Cy-Fair ISD's chief of police, the district is preparing to launch its first police department this year.

Bragg served 21 years as the Spring ISD chief of police, a department he started in 1990.

"It's an honor to be here," said Bragg, when introduced. "We're really excited about this opportunity and this new adventure. We're looking forward to creating a police department for Cy-Fair ISD that you can be proud of, and one that will ensure the safety and security of your students, staff and facilities for a long time."

When Precinct 4 Constable Ron Hickman canceled his office's contract with Cy-Fair ISD last April, the district opted to continue the partnership under a short-term contract and adopted a resolution to allow administrators to hire police officers or start a police department in the future.

"In mid-September, we realized we were uncertain about the future of the contract with the county," said Teresa Hull, the district's associate superintendent of human resources, student services and communication. "We felt it was in the district's best interest to move forward with the creation of its own department."

CFISD administrators visited several district police departments in Spring, Klein, Spring Branch and Katy to get a feel for what it would be like to start a department from the ground up.

"We selected those [districts] because the current chiefs of police there originally started those departments and could assist us in what it would take to start a department," Hull said. "Information gained from those visits led us to believe it wasn't a process we needed to rush through quickly."

Although trustees approved the 2012 constable contracts Dec. 12, either party, with 30 days notice, may terminate the agreement.