Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD.
Five Molina High School seniors are the first students in Dallas ISD to become fully licensed Level II unarmed security officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety through the DISD Law Enforcement Pathway program.
This pathway allows high school seniors to earn a certificate of completion that makes them eligible for licensure during their senior year, after they turn 18 and receive a state-issued ID. Level II licenses are earned through DISD courses plus an exam.
This license allows students to obtain employment as non-commissioned security guards, commissioned security guards, and personal protection guards.
Instructor Earl Felton, a former police officer and first responder, said a license is not the same as being a police officer. Instead, he said, security guards monitor and report suspicious activity.
Throughout a student's four years in the Law Enforcement Pathway, students are taught everything from the basics and history of law enforcement to how to properly use handcuffs, how to perform a building search, and how to investigate a crime scene. Students can also learn about forensics and crime scene details such as blood spatter.
“I feel relieved knowing I have options. The opportunity I have as a member of law enforcement is the chance to work at the county sheriff's jail next summer,” said Reynaldo, a senior from Molina.
Molina High School is one of 11 DISD high schools currently offering law and civil service education.
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Emma Ruby is an editor at Advocate. Before joining the Advocate, she covered breaking Dallas news for the Dallas Morning News and national health care issues for InvestigateTV. She Emma studied journalism at Loyola University in New Orleans. She can be reached via her email at eruby@advocatemag.com.
