Catherine Torrez - Former School Resource Officer & Police Chief Joins Houston's Morning News

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's five fifty two on news radio seven forty K

(00:02):
Trihe Chris rock In for Jimmy Barrett. We have a
guest with us, Catherine Torres, your former school resource officer
and police chief, which is fantastic to talk to you
about how the majority of Texas school districts aren't in
compliance with armed security requirement. Let me ask you this, Katin,
first of all, welcome to this radio seven forty k
Trriah and worgan of all, are you so good morning?

(00:24):
Are you surprised that the majority of Texas school districts
aren't in compliance?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
No, I'm absolutely not surprised. In fact, soon as I
heard the requirement in my head, I just went, well,
good luck with that, because they didn't give the school
districts enough time. Number one, and the expense to do everything,

(00:50):
as you already stated, is pretty overwhelming for the schools
to be able to comply with this.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
You know, when I look at this too, I mean
I don't have any they're they're they're complaining in this
one article that d I s D Dallas I is D.
They well, we can't afford eighty five thousand dollars for
security guard. Look when when people walked into not too
long ago, into Fort Worth, ID into one of their
schools and one of the big high schools there. They

(01:19):
had a camera rolling or they're on their iPhone, one
of the some younger journalist type person, and they walked
into the entrance and there was a security guard sleeping
literally on the video. So in the middle of the day.
I don't trust security guards, do you.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
I don't want to put it as a blanket state,
because I know that there are some that are very
good that are The requirements for security guards though are
not quite as high as there are for police officers.
But I mean, I'll be honest. I actually rolled up

(01:56):
on a police officer sleep in his car a couple
of days ago. I rolled back by five minutes later
he was away.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
But who's more likely to be willing to run towards
the fire? Gunfire or security guard or a cop?

Speaker 2 (02:15):
I would think a police officer. But I know some
fine security officers, do you pol who really, really, really
care about their job. But police officers have much higher training.
Security guards only have to go through I don't remember

(02:42):
the required amount of time for security guards, but I
think to be a level for security where they can
actually carry a gun. I think it's far less than
a month of training.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
Let me take you to Okay, well, let me take
you in allhad Sorry.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
No, but I do know this that the level four
security officers do have to have the psychological exam, just
what police officers have to have. Let me tell you
I'm encouraged at least about that.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
I'm taking to Valdi. Remember that there was the one
man who was in the classroom when the terrorist struck,
and he was you know, he was emotional crying. It
was a powerful video of him talking. He was very
much anti gun, but I believe he had the chance
to have a weapon on his person, or if he could
have picked up a gun, he would have used it,
even if he's anti gun. So don't you think that

(03:38):
training and doing the background of the psychological on staff
members would be just as powerful and good if they're
trained properly to in these situations because they know the children,
they love them, and they would die for them in
many cases.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
I do agree with that, if the if this teacher
and staff member is willing to get trained, there are
some who there are some who absolutely don't want anything
to do with that. But there are some and I
know that some of our schools do offer and allow
their teachers their staff to go through the training. It's

(04:18):
usually in remote areas, and I'm glad at least in
remote areas there's something, because something there at the school
to protect them, because it can take thirty minutes for
somebody to get there.

Speaker 1 (04:29):
In law enforcement, we got ten seconds. But isn't it
a lot cheaper to train faculty. And by the way,
they're happening in the burbs too, and they need to
be in the burbs, in the inner city. Isn't it
a lot cheaper?

Speaker 2 (04:41):
Absolutely, it's cheaper to train them, and they're already on
the payroll. They just get a stipend, additional stipping to
be able to do that and to carry the weapon
there at the school.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
That's why this angers me, because the solutions right in
front of and they won't do it. Their excuses do
not impress me. It makes me angry as a parent
and as a citizen. But I want to say thank
you for coming on with this. I appreciate you very
much this morning. Catherine Torres, former resource officer and police chief,
thank you so much.