Offiicials: School lockdowns protect students from harm

EDINBURG — This city is home to two state prisons, a county jail, a juvenile detention center, a city jail and the county courthouse.

Every so often, inmates who are taken to one of those facilities try to escape, said Edinburg Police Chief Quirino Muñoz. When inmates succeed, school officials must respond to protect students.

In the past two weeks, the Edinburg school district has twice locked down schools after reports of detainee escapes in the vicinity the campuses. A gang fight this week near Edinburg North High School prompted a third lockdown.

Muñoz said the recent spate of lockdowns is a fluke and doesn’t necessarily indicate the schools are in more danger than they were in the past.

“The law of averages catch up to just about everything,” Muñoz said. “It’s a spike — a coincidence that they have occurred so close together.”

Eisenhower Elementary School and Memorial Middle School — both located at the intersection of Mile 17 1/2 and Doolittle roads — were placed on lockdown for about 20 minutes Thursday as police searched for a juvenile who escaped from custody.

On Wednesday, Edinburg North High School, 3101 N. Closner Blvd., and Truman Elementary School, 701 W. Rogers Road, were placed on lockdown after gunshots were heard in the neighborhood. Police quickly caught up with 10 suspected gang members but made no arrests.

Edinburg North was also locked down last week after an inmate being transferred from the Hidalgo County Jail to a restitution center escaped police custody.

School district officials declined an interview request on their lockdown policies, instead releasing a prepared statement.

In it, the district said the lockdowns will lead it to re-evaluate crisis procedures and its methods to keep parents informed when there is a lockdown.

The school system pointed to its proximity to detention facilities as part of the reason for the recent lockdowns.

In each case, principals at the schools made a decision to exercise their authority to lock down their schools as a precautionary measure to protect students and staff.

School safety procedures and safeguards are in place for every school to follow during a crisis, the statement says. Security officers and certified police officers are also in every school.

A lockdown further protects students and staff from a threat by preventing people from entering or leaving the school. When the danger has passed, the school district lifts the lockdown.

Muñoz, whose officers also respond to schools when needed, said lockdowns are sometimes complicated by rumors spread by students ordered to stay on campus.

“Even though (lockdowns) are inconvenient and may cause alarm, it’s something that’s in place that helps minimize the risks,” the chief said. “It’s a necessary inconvenience.”

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.