EPISD upgrades security systems, process at several schools

The El Paso Independent School District introduced new security upgrades to schools around the district.

The upgrades are part of the 2016 EPISD bond tax payers approved to improve schools. The $699 million bond had $750,000 set a side for safety.

Some of thenew security enhancements were rolled out Monday at Tom Lea Elementary School.

Visitors will have to show their IDs before entering, explain their purpose for being on campus, then be given a badge once allowed inside.

Another enhancement is the instant connection to the school’s closed circuit TV police can tap into in the case of an emergency situation.

Manuel Chavira, the Safe and Secure Schools Manager, told ABC-7 “By having that video survelliance system we upload it into the mobile command unit. In the unit we have our public safety partners that will establish a unified command in which we can share our feed and talk about our entry points and have our tactical operations set through that unified command.”

New EPISD patrol cars, consoles and radio repeaters were also purchased with the bond money in order to keep sutents safe.