Veteran homicide detective named Burleson ISD's first-ever school safety officer
BURLESON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - From catching bad guys to protecting school children, 30-year Fort Worth Police Department veteran Curt Brannan is now the first ever school safety officer for Burleson ISD.
Brannan is a former homicide detective who worked on several high-profile cases in Fort Worth, including the shootings at the Tarrant County Courthouse, the Glass Key and Wedgwood Baptist Church.
He taught defensive tactics while serving the U.S. Army and FWPD, is certified by the FBI as a defensive tactics instructor, and received training by the U.S. Secret Service in dignitary and executive protection. A 9th-degree black belt, Brannan also served as the personal bodyguard for dignitaries and high-profile celebrities.
As the first SSO, Brannan will help the district in the recruitment and hiring of at least nine additional SSOs to serve as professionals authorized to carry weapons who are responsible for providing and maintaining a safe and secure environment for students, staff, and visitors at all elementary campuses.
"Hiring experienced law enforcement professionals is crucial to the overall success of our school security plan, and we are confident that Mr. Brannan is the expert we need to guide us as we move forward with our program," said BISD Superintendent Dr. Bret Jimerson. "Mr. Brannan has a distinguished career in law enforcement and security, and he comes highly recommended by Burleson Chief of Police Billy Cordell and former Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford. We know our relationship with BPD is about to grow even stronger with Mr. Brannan joining our BISD team."
The district consulted with multiple entities to identify a safety program with flexibility to meet the safety needs of the district while allowing for the largest pool of highly-qualified candidates to apply for this position.
"I had the honor of working with Curt Brannan at the FWPD, and if ever there was a candidate I would recommend hiring, it's Curt," said Burleson Chief of Police Billy Cordell. "Curt is a man of integrity and character with a passion to serve. BISD made an excellent selection in hiring Curt for this position."
A Burleson resident for more than 35 years, Brannan has children and grandchildren who attended and graduated from the district.
"The mission is simple: protect our teachers and students at the elementary schools we are assigned," said Brannan. "There are a lot of highly-qualified applicants with many years of training and law enforcement experience who are applying to be a part of this team. We'll be searching through these top officers to select those who will work very closely with BPD and the SROs to add another layer of protection to our schools."
