ODESSA, Texas — Many scary things have happened recently at schools around Texas.
This has left some parents wanting to get the police involved when their child is in danger.
However, there have been questions about who to call for the right situation, Ector County ISD Police or the Odessa Police Department.
Sometimes, it depends on the situation.
Chancey Westfall, an ECISD police sergeant based out of Permian High School, explained that the campus police department is the correct department to call for incidents in school or at a school event.
"Criminal activities that occur on our property or at a school-sponsored event," Westfall said. "So if it happens at Ratliff Stadium, at a school, or say for example we've had a case where there was an incident at a school-sponsored event at the coliseum. If it occurred there during a school event, then that would ultimately fall back on us because it was a school activity in which it occurred.”
From there, an investigation will occur where they will gather information and question suspects.
“Generally first is gathering the facts, interviewing witnesses that are going to be associated with the offense," Westfall said. "If we have a clear suspect in it, going through the process of doing a possible custodial interrogation. And depending on how that goes, for a juvenile, it would be taking a student in front of a judge, having them mirandized, where they’re read their rights, and then advised on that, and then see if they speak to the officers or not to gain additional evidence.”
No matter who is on the scene, parents can rest assured these departments will have your child's best interest in mind.