Olney officers organize student law enforcement conference in Wichita Falls

Olney Police Department officers set up and participated in a conference for high schoolers studying for careers in public safety in Wichita Falls last weekend, and hope to start a public safety career and technical education chapter at Olney ISD next year, OPD Detective Autumn Thames said.

Detective Thames, director of Region 1 for the Texas Public Safety Association (TPSA), organized the two-day conference at the Wichita Falls Independent School District campus, where she taught criminal justice before moving to Olney, she said.

TPSA is an organization that offers competition for high school kids in law enforcement, fire services, forensic science, legal studies, and correctional services, she said.

The WFISD hosted 152 students, ages ninth through 12th grades, from Region 1, stretching from Waco to Fort Worth to Wichita Falls, and from Region 7, from El Paso to Amarillo.

Students who attend the rigorous contest, which tests their skills in everything from chasing down a bad guy to crash and forensic investigations to building searches, must participate in the CTE chapter at their high school, Detective Thames said.

The top three winners in each of 40 categories qualify for the state conference in Allen, Texas, in March.

Although Olney did not field a team, students from Wichita Falls ISD placed third in SWAT, second in crime scene investigation, and third in law enforcement press conference events.

“We want to start a chapter in Olney next year,” she said.

The students competed in events judged by members of the local public safety community including Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck, who judged the SWAT competition; OPD Officer Preston Scroggins who judged the traffic competition; and Young County Assistant District Attorney Jamie Petruzzi and Olney Assistant City Attorney Dan Branum judged the students’ closing arguments in a mock trial.

Other events included a DWI traffic stop, report writing, a service call in which students respond to a mock domestic disturbance, a first aid call involving the use of CPR, and an agility course in which students run a foot chase involving obstacles and dragging a mannequin.

The conference also included science-based contests, such as analyzing fibers to determine whether they were natural or synthetic and identifying human bones, she said.

Detective Thames wished to thank all the volunteers who participated in the event, including Olney PD, Burkburnett Fire Department, Olney Volunteer Fire Department, Archer County Attorney, Wichita County Sheriff ’s Office, Wichita County Courthouse, Ostovich Law Firm, Wichita Falls Police Department, Clay County Sheriff ’s Office, Parker County Sheriff ’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Vernon College, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls ISD, City View ISD, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Archer County Sheriff ’s Office, and the Graham Police Department.