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Duncanville ISD police chief reports rise in recorded incidents, flags weapons and synthetic-drug use
Summary
Chief Max Garren told the board the district police department has professionalized operations and record-keeping, which coincided with a roughly 28% increase in reported incidents; he said weapons incidents doubled and drug offenses (primarily synthetic/vape products) now account for about 46% of reported incidents.
Chief Max Garren told Trustees that the district's police department has focused this year on closing policy gaps, upgrading dispatch and records systems, and pursuing formal accreditation.
"When I arrived in February of last year... we identified 37 distinct policy gaps," Chief Garren said, describing the department's policy and technology modernization. He credited more consistent documentation and a strengthened dispatch function for improved case management.
Garren reported that total reported offenses rose "about 28% year-over-year from 98 to 125," and he cautioned that part of that increase reflects better documentation and case reporting. He also said the number that concerns him most is that weapons incidents "doubled," including one incident that involved a student with a firearm at a middle school. "Drug offenses remain our largest challenge at nearly half of all reported offenses," he said, adding that the predominant substance has been synthetic products delivered in vapes.
The chief said the department has passed two critical state audits this year and is preparing for accreditation through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. He also reported a 62% increase in arrests (13 versus 8 the prior year), while noting the small absolute numbers make percentage changes appear large.
Trustees pressed for details about where incidents are occurring and how the district uses canine searches. Garren said the high school accounts for the most incidents, the weapon incident referenced in the report occurred at a middle school, and the district contracts monthly canine searches and uses them at major events and for spot checks.
Garren identified staffing as the department's biggest ongoing challenge, reporting two current sworn vacancies and saying the compensation adjustments in the new budget are intended to improve recruiting and retention. He emphasized that school safety is a district-wide function that requires coordination between police, campus administrators and other staff.
