Back-to-school interview: Lubbock ISD Police Chief Eric Tijerina - fox34.com

Chief Tijerina detailed these enhanced safety protocols during a recent FOX34 back-to-school interview, emphasizing proactive measures. He confirmed every LISD officer, from those patrolling around Lubbock High to those covering elementary schools closer to the South Plains Mall, is now equipped with the opioid overdose reversal medication. This direct response targets the alarming increase in fentanyl-related incidents across Texas, a crisis that has unfortunately begun impacting communities like ours, including young people within school age groups. Beyond this new medication, the department also put all officers through extensive active threat response training over the summer break, ensuring they are ready for a wider range of potential emergencies on any campus from Tech Terrace to Raintree.

For Lubbock parents, this means an immediate, life-saving tool is available directly on campus if a student ever encounters an opioid. It signals the district's commitment to adapting its security measures to evolving public health threats, moving beyond just traditional dangers like trespassers or violence. This provides an additional layer of rapid medical intervention that simply wasn't in place before, offering a new measure of peace of mind to families across town.

Last year alone, Texas saw a nearly 20% rise in fentanyl-related deaths among individuals under 18.