Meet OISD’s new School Resource Officer Devin Wright

Iowa Park native Devin Wright has worn many hats as a law enforcement officer: Graham police officer and SWAT team member, certified sniper, Young County deputy, Archer County reserve deputy, Brazos River Authority officer, and K9 officer. Now he’s adding school resource officer for the Olney Independent School District to his resume.

Officer Wright spent the past few weeks training for his new role, getting his uniforms made and thinking about the relationship he wants with the kids he will be mentoring and protecting. He is the second law officer in his family to work in Olney – his son-in-law is Olney Police Officer Richard Fellows. He and Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck worked together at the Young County Sheriff ’s Office.

“[Chief] Dan [Birbeck] called me one day and told me about the SRO position and I got to looking into it,” he said. “It really piqued my interest. It’s not really a police enforcement job; we integrate into the school to be a good role model, to support the kids in what they do. Obviously if there is a crime committed we will handle that without a doubt but that is not my main purpose. It’s more to be there for the kids and to support them.”

Officer Wright enters the job at a fraught moment – state lawmakers passed new legislation this year to ratchet up campus security in the wake of the 2022 shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. OISD had already commissioned a campus security study, implemented physical countermeasures such as doorstops and security cameras, and began training and arming campus personnel as part of the Guardians program. “My job will be to obviously protect the school from any outside entity but I think a lot of my job is going to make sure cameras and doors have to be audited,” he said.

Chief Birbeck said he had a specific skill set in mind when he was hiring for the SRO position, and he found that in Officer Wright. “I wanted somebody that was tactically sound and able to effectively and professionally address a threat to the school while at the same time, choosing someone who would make a great role model and develop position relationships with our students.”

As Officer Wright completes his training, he is considering how best to introduce himself to students this fall, and is considering asking the kids to help design the decals that will adorn the new SRO patrol vehicle.