Q&A: Police chief answers school questions

Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of interviews with local officials. Roy Rice is Clovis' police chief. This email exchange focused on school safety.

Q: School starts again in just a few days. How are you feeling about student safety locally? Are the area districts doing all they can to prevent campus violence?

A: I feel the schools are doing quite a bit to ensure student safety.

I have attended meetings and training sessions for the staff to enlighten them on what to look for and be aware of.

Other members of our department have been present for some of their training. 

Q: If money were no object, is there anything schools could do that might ensure a safer environment? 

A: As for an unlimited supply of money to make a safer school, they have already equipped the school with safety features and video cameras.

I know they are doing a lot to provide safety for the students and staff.

Q: Does the Clovis Police Department have a full-time presence on local campuses? If money were no object, would you prefer to have a police officer on each campus?

A: We do not have a full-time presence on each campus nor are we needed on each campus full time.

Since we do not have a school resource officer we are creating a patrol zone for the schools where an officer will be responsible for patrolling the schools, providing walkthroughs and responding to calls for service at the schools.  

Q: Talk about traffic control in school zones. Will Clovis PD be enforcing speed limits near campuses more than usual these next few weeks?

A: Any unit, not on a call, will be patrolling the school zones along with our traffic units.

Q: One for fun: Do you have an all-time favorite school teacher from your youth? Who and why?

A: I guess if I had to name one teacher as my all-time favorite, it would have to be Mr. Gibbs from Brownfield, Texas, High School.

I do not know his first name. I was a junior in high school and always called him sir or Mr. Gibbs.

He taught distributive education and I learned a lot from him about dealing with people and, of course, sales.

He brought this shy kid out of his shell and taught work ethics and the importance of working with the public. 

- Compiled by David Stevens, The Staff of The News