Round Rock ISD hires new police chief following scandal
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock ISD Police Department named its new chief of police.
Last year, the former chief left, saying, "He lost trust in the district's leadership."
The Round Rock ISD Police Department will welcome its new Chief of Police, Ryan Urrutia, on Sept. 17.
Round Rock ISD Chief of Police Ryan Urrutia
The current interim police chief is Lauren Griffith.
Griffith replaced former chief Dennis Weiner, who left the department this summer after nearly 2 years.
A letter from former Round Rock ISD police chief Dennis Weiner to the district superintendent claims a 5-year-old student was sexually assaulted on a school bus by another student, and Round Rock ISD police were not notified by any district employee until three days after the incident.
He also said in the letter he had lost trust in district leadership.
The letter was posted to social media by Round Rock ISD Board of Trustee’s member Danielle Weston.
"If the worst situation that you could possibly think of were to ever break out in one of our schools, how would police officers, who do not trust leadership, how would they work together to protect our children," says Round Rock ISD Board of Trustee’s Member, Danielle Weston.
While Chief Weiner was leading the Round Rock ISD Police Department, the district's superintendent hired a private investigator to look into the police department in October 2023.
According to the report, the department's climate and culture was extremely negative, toxic, and chaotic with no two-way communication.
"We’ve got a pattern here of security concerns about the school district not being brought to the attention of the board," says Weston.
According to the district, the new chief of police, Ryan Urrutia was assistant chief deputy of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, with nearly 260 officers and support staff, and a nearly $26 million budget.
The new police chief says he is excited and will provide what the department needs to move forward and grow even stronger.