Wednesday, June 14, 2023
LocalNewsOnly
NEWS RELEASE
A Grapevine Police officer is receiving state recognition for his years-long work to improve police response times for school emergencies.
Officer Patrick O’Neal will be presented with the 2023 State of Texas Law Enforcement Achievement Award for Public Service in the House of Representatives Chamber at the State Capitol in Austin on Friday, June 16, 2023.
In 2017, Officer O’Neal began an effort to ensure any Grapevine officer could quickly find any area or room on a school campus, even if the officer is not familiar with the building. O’Neal identified a need for standardized data and consistent numbering for doors, as well as improved mapping for first responders.
After gathering information about entry and exit points for all schools in Grapevine, he approached Grapevine Geographic Information System (GIS) staff to develop easy-to-read maps of each campus that include details on all doors and how accessible they are to police. As a result, Grapevine Police now have a detailed map for every school with how best to enter a school, how to find specific classrooms or room types, and which doors need keys to open.
Officer O’Neal’s detailed and meticulous work has made Grapevine Police more efficient and better prepared.
Officer Patrick O’Neal is a crime prevention officer, member of the Northeast Tarrant County SWAT team and serves on the Active Shooter Committee.
| Amanda McNew Media Manager, Grapevine Police Department 1007 Ira E. Woods Avenue Grapevine, Texas 76051 817.410.3205 (Office) 682.321.0110 (Cell) amcnew@grapevinetexas.gov |
