About Us

Department Mission

To assist our district administrators in maintaining a safe, secure, and peaceful environment conducive to teaching and learning. To demonstrate a genuine concern and sensitivity for the feelings, background, and views of all students, parents, and staff. To enforce board policies, regulations, and state statutes, when applicable.

Special Units

To accomplish our goals to ensure safety at our schools, we have the following special units and programs:

School Safety Officers work to implement violence prevention measures and reduce student truancy. Their responsibilities include:
- Responding to schools during disturbances and student unrest.
- Investigating student confrontations and allegations of wrongdoing on school campuses or school events and recommending action to solve problem.
- Investigating reports of missing children, stranger danger (attempted abductions, indecent exposure, etc.)
- Providing security at various district events.
- Conducting conflict or crisis resolution/mediation with youth.
- Conducting staff in-service training programs on various violence/gang recognition and intervention issues.
- Delivering community presentations on gang awareness and hate crimes. They have given over 1000 presentations to parents, staff, and community groups. Their services may be requested by district staff, parents, student and community members.
- Collaborating with law enforcement agencies.
- Conducting district-wide truancy sweeps. In collaboration with the Pima County Attorney's Office, Tucson Police Department, Sheriff's Department, and South Tucson Police Department, TUSD School Safety Officers participate in city-wide truancy sweeps. This effort has resulted in higher attendance rates and reduced delinquency related offenses.
Uniformed Security Officers patrol district sites and respond to burglar and fire alarms as well as tend to other situations involving student and staff safety. They cover an area over 250 square miles in the school district and share similar responsibilities of the other units within our department. School Safety provides officers 24 hours a day, everyday including holidays and weekends.
Dispatchers are a key in providing communication with personnel in the field. They provide coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their duties include:
- Record staff locations, coordinate back-up of other officers, law enforcement agencies, and requests for emergency help.
- Night shift dispatchers monitor alarm systems, dispatch Uniformed Security Officers and notify appropriate authorities as needed.
- Maintain a daily call log recording all calls with case numbers and action taken.
- Dispatchers working day shift dispatch School Safety Officers to incidents on campuses such as weapons, lost children, violence and truancy.
Parents On Patrol (POP) is a volunteer program designed to involve parents in the safety and security of our schools. The program encourages parents, grandparents, and other relatives to volunteer their time to assist school personnel by observing and listening on the campus and reporting to the school administrator.POP volunteers are the eyes and ears of the school. Interested parents may obtain applications from the School Safety Officer. Our current POP Coordinator is Kathy Gutierrez, School Safety Officer.