McKinney officials describe upgraded school safety measures, new threat‑assessment work
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Summary
McKinney ISD and McKinney Police Department staff described upgraded cameras, detection systems and behavioral threat assessment teams at a Feb. 28 joint meeting; police said long‑running SRO staffing and training remain priorities.
McKinney ISD security staff and McKinney Police Department officials described recent and planned safety upgrades for schools and district events at a joint meeting Feb. 28, 2025, including detection systems at high schools, new visitor badging and a multidisciplinary behavioral threat‑assessment team.
Russell May, McKinney ISD’s senior security director, said the district installed a camera system and an Evolv Security Detection System at the three high schools and a similar system (DAP) in the stadium. “The Evolv Security Detection System in particular helps maintain a quick and smooth flow of students while also maintaining their safety at the same time,” May said.
May and Deputy Chief Anna Navarro of the McKinney Police Department described long‑standing collaboration between the district and police. Navarro, who oversees Special Operations, provided staffing details for the district‑police SRO program: “We’re comprised of 16 officers, 2 supervisors, 2 sergeants, and 12 of those officers are dedicated to McKinney schools,” she said, and added that the department had maintained training standards above the state minimum.
May said the district implemented a districtwide badging policy in 2024 for middle schools and that the district is conducting safety audits, risk assessments and investments in infrastructure and technology. He also mentioned plans for collaborative training and avoiding a “hardened or prison like effect” in classrooms while improving security.
Both agencies described new preventive tools. Navarro said the police and ISD are forming a behavioral threat assessment team with law enforcement and mental‑health professionals to identify risks early. The police department also plans summer 3‑D mapping of several schools using a Trimble system to aid response planning, Navarro said, with support from Chief Ellenberg.
When asked by council members what the largest current threat to students was, May said “social media,” noting that information and misinformation transmitted through peer networks and social platforms create challenges for schools and families.
District and police leaders said they will continue collaborative training and public outreach, and that the initiatives are part of a broader, ongoing effort to balance safety with an open learning environment.
