Donald Meisenheimer, a former Katy ISD police officer and current substitute teacher, was among the graduates of the inaugural Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) #41505 School-Based Law Enforcement Master Training Class.

The graduation was Aug. 12 in San Antonio. Meisenheimer is also a reserve deputy for the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office in addition to his Katy-area activities.

The Master Training is the capstone of the TxSSC’s school-based law enforcement training series. TCOLE accredits the 32-hour training. Participants must complete the Introductory, Intermediary, and Advanced training before attending the Master Training. The training prepares participants to be leaders in the field of Texas school-based law enforcement, studying best practices and evidence-based models of policing to improve safety and security for the schools and communities they serve.

Throughout the training series, participants study a wide variety of topics including mental health issues of today’s youth, the development of the adolescent brain, suicide prevention, restorative justice, bullying and cyberbullying, gang awareness, social media investigations, and strategic planning.

Joe Munoz, TxSSC School Based Law Enforcement Training Manager said, “We are so excited for this four-part series to come to fruition. Having an individual dedicate approximately 128 hours of their time toward this goal is remarkable. What an honor.”

Meisenheimer said with the increased need for school safety, this training is the most comprehensive and complete training program for officers that serve schools.

“The Texas School Safety Center has developed the gold standard for training for increasing the safety of our schools and I am proud to count myself among this group of professionals,” Meisenheimer said.

The inaugural class included 50 individuals affiliated with school-based law enforcement from around the State of Texas, including five individuals who completed all four courses this summer. Meisenheimer was one of these five individuals.

The TxSSC is an official university-level research center at Texas State University tasked in Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code with key school safety initiatives and mandates. The TxSSC serves as a clearinghouse for the dissemination of safety and security information through research, training, and technical assistance for K-12 schools and junior colleges throughout the state of Texas. For more information, visit the website training and resources the TxSSC offers, visit txssc.txstate.edu.