Governor Greg Abbott has appointed a US Secret Service agent from the Dallas area to oversee Texas schools’ security efforts.
John Scott, who previously served as deputy special agent in charge of the North Texas District as well as the North Texas Cyber Fraud Task Force and the Intelligence and Physical Protection Unit, began work on Monday .
“Chief Scott’s extensive security and intelligence experience and exemplary service to our nation make[s] him the perfect candidate as the school’s new head of safety and security,” Abbott said in a statement Monday.
In June, following that year’s massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Abbott ordered the Texas Education Agency to create the position of the school’s chief safety and security officer.
Scott will serve as the agency’s resident expert on public safety and security issues and oversee the implementation of related policies by Texas schools.
The position was part of initiatives undertaken in the wake of the Uvalde tragedy which left 19 children and two teachers dead. Other efforts include new agency guidelines that require school districts to submit to intruder detection and security audits.
“As Education Commissioner and as a father, I recognize that our schools must be safe for students to learn and grow,” Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. “TEA’s new Head of Schools Safety and Security, John Scott, brings incredible security expertise to this role. We are grateful for Governor Abbott’s leadership on this critical issue.
Scott will work with various state agencies, including the Texas School Safety Center, Department of Public Safety, Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, school districts and other entities, according to a Press release.
Scott previously served as a special agent in the Vice Presidential Protective Division in Washington, DC, and in the Secret Service Field Office in Houston. Prior to joining the Secret Service, Scott served as a field artillery officer in the United States Army after earning his bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University.
Abbott has come under scrutiny by some for failing to call a special session for lawmakers after the Uvalde shooting.
Since the shooting, the state has provided or facilitated resources, including a recent allocation of $94 million in federal Safe Schools Grants and actor Chuck Norris to promote the state’s suspicious activity reporting system. , IWatch Texas.
During a debate against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke last Friday, Abbott defended his administration’s response to Uvalde and addressed criticism, arguing that the state “didn’t need a special session” to solve the problem.
School safety will be a priority in the next legislative session, Abbott said.
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