Reporting & Photos By Amy Meyer / Mineral Wells Area News
PALO PINTO COUNTY — A recent change in state law is pushing schools and law enforcement agencies across Texas to expand their safety equipment, including the requirement for rifle-rated ballistic shields on every campus.
House Bill 33, approved by State Legislation, adds new layers to existing school safety mandates. The law requires each school system to have at least one breaching tool and one ballistic shield per campus, conduct security reviews when facilities are built or renovated, and designate a certified public information officer.
It also mandates standardized response protocols, annual sheriff-led school safety meetings in larger counties, and law enforcement training on incident response and command.
Locally, the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Office is already ahead of the curve. Before his retirement, former Sheriff Brett McGuire purchased five rifle-rated shields using SB22 grant funding. Sheriff J.R. Patterson said the shields, manufactured by Safariland, are Level III ballistic protection — capable of stopping rifle rounds.
Last month, deputies trained on the use of the shields under the direction of Sergeant Jason Goff, who recently joined the Sheriff’s Office investigations division and brings extensive instructor experience.
“It’s a level three ballistic shield. It is good for rifle rounds,” Goff said. “They can use it on building clearing, on barricaded subjects, on search warrants, and on hostage situations — and those are just some of the situations where it can be deployed.”
Sheriff Patterson said Goff’s desire to train and mentor deputies will have a long-lasting impact on the department’s preparedness.
With schools required to comply with the new legislation, law enforcement agencies and school districts across Palo Pinto County are expected to expand their safety measures in the months ahead.