Page 18 - TheCardinal-Spring2021_ONLINE

HAPPENING AROUND SISD
HAPPENING AROUND SISD

DISTRICT NEWS
DISTRICT NEWS

POLICE DEPARTMENT

Police Department Awareness on the

Shoulders of Officers

For the month of April, Southside ISD Police Department Offi cers displayed

a special uniform shoulder patch in observance of Autism Awareness Month.
Chief of Police Don Tijerina is displaying the special patch on the right side
shoulder with the regular uniform shoulder patch displayed on the left side

shoulder.

Autism is a complex, lifelong developmental disability that typically appears
during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication,
relationships, and self-regulation. Because police are usually among the fi rst to
respond to an emergency, it is vital that offi cers have a working knowledge of

autism, and the wide variety of behaviors people with autism can exhibit in emergency situations.

Earlier this school year, Southside ISD Police Department personnel observed Breast Cancer Awareness
Month by wearing pink t-shirts under uniform shirts and/or pink ribbons on their clothing and Domestic Violence
Awareness Month by wearing purple t-shirts under uniform shirts and/or purple ribbons on their clothing.

These observances are some of the actions the Southside ISD Police Department is taking to show the

department’s commitment to building trust with the community. When members of the community believe police
make legitimate attempts to empathize and understand them, foundations of trust between the community and
police are built. Trust leads to many positive outcomes including increased cooperation and information sharing
and ultimately, greater safety and security for everyone.

18 www.southsideisd.org