Bell County law enforcement officials joined Killeen ISD Career and Technical Education leaders and Chaparral High School administrators, teachers and students Thursday to signal another opportunity opened to KISD graduates entering the workforce.
A signing ceremony in a Chaparral classroom made official students’ ability to become certified jailers in the state of Texas upon completion of the required exam.
Six Chaparral seniors represent the inaugural pilot class for the program, giving them a chance to go to work as a Texas jailer as soon as they complete the 120-hour course and pass the state test.
KISD CTE Director Patrice Robinson guided a large group of guests including Bell County Sheriff Bill Cooke and other representatives of the county law enforcement agency and the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to introduce themselves.
Next, she did the same with the school district and high school leadership in the large upstairs classroom.
The six initial jailer program students and others currently enrolled in the school’s law enforcement courses looked on before posing in photos and mingling with the county leaders.
“This signing day represents a shared commitment of preparing our young people for their futures and to strengthen the community they will one day serve,” Robinson said.
“It’s an opportunity for students to complete the basic corrections course to be prepared to pursue their state licensing exam…and they will develop professional skills and a deeper understanding of public service.”
The Bell County Jail is the seventh-largest county jail in the state with 1,900-plus beds, making it a “city within a city,” requiring a huge supervision staff.
Teresa Phelps, deputy sheriff of the Bell County Sheriff’s Office training division, said 18 Texas counties are currently partnering with public school districts to fill the workforce need inside jails.
Even students looking to enter other law enforcement fields often start as a jailer, like Phelps did 36 years ago. She is thrilled at the prospect of welcoming KISD graduates as young as 18 to come to work in Bell County.
“This is a great pre-step. It helps them understand what it is to be in uniform, to be in a controlled situation,” she said.
Students applied for the position in the pilot jailer certification program, will go through a mock board check and official fingerprinting to get them fully prepped.
“I think the interest we’ve seen…is great,” she said, noting that law enforcement is a demanding field that requires resilience and is currently facing a significant number of retirements and cultural backlash nationwide.
Chaparral seniors Elisha Baker and Madison Dahlquist, both in the initial jailer certification course, were excited to see the level of support from state, county, school district and campus leaders in their chosen area of career interest.
“This opportunity means a lot,” said Baker. “This helps me reach my goals. I just want to help the community. This is my calling and I’m excited to focus on it.”
“This certification is a huge step in the career I want to get into,” Dahlquist said. “I can earn money to have a stable life.” She wants to be a criminal investigator and has a six-year plan to get there.
“Law enforcement is a big deal for me. My family has been in security and law enforcement. It’s something to broaden my horizon in life,” she said.
“It was nice to see who is in charge and leading us in our county and state, all those creating new experiences for us.”
Photos: www.killeenisd.org/photos