Seattle Public Schools’ new safety director turns to community-focused approach to safety

SEATTLE — Jose Curiel Morelos approaches his new job with his nearly-school-aged daughter in mind.

“My daughter is going to go to school here. Everybody is going to be like my daughter.”

Ten days ago, Morelos became the new executive director of safety and security at Seattle Public Schools, bringing with him 12 years of experience in security in educational settings. Most recently, he was the director of safety and security at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.

His approach will be part partnerships and part building improvements to a district that has reeled from violence over the last several years.

Two students have been killed at schools in the district, one at Ingraham High and another at Garfield High this summer. An analysis from KUOW found there had been six shootings near Garfield in the year leading up to the June tragedy.

Morelos joins a debate on whether School Resource Officers should return to school buildings in the district.

“I’ve met with the principal at Garfield and Ingraham, and we were talking about what that looks like, whether they want that or not, what kind of program, and how can SPD be a partner in that,” Morelos said.

SPS leaders believe there is a role for public safety agencies at their buildings, though it may not look like the traditional model that had been in place for years. SPS is working with Seattle Police to station officers at some high-risk schools before and after school as well as during lunch.

Morelos is in the process of hiring more security staff, no matter what happens with the SRO debate. In his past and what he will bring to SPS, is a “culture change” for how security staff operate.

“One of our priorities is building relationships with students. One of the things that I always lead with is making sure that students see us as a resource and not as an enforcement entity.” Morelos explained.

Schools are facing a multitude of threats—real, perceived and fake. Fake threats or ‘swatting’ has become common at schools, and social media threats have inundated districts, leaving leaders in a position to balance what gets released and student privacy laws.

“As a parent myself, I would want to know everything, just tell me all the information. But at the same time, we also need to protect the privacy of student families,” he said.

Morelos is also seeking improvements in building infrastructure and technology—like cameras, fencing, and detectors—to improve building security.

As the district currently faces a $94 million shortfall in its budget, district leaders seek to ask for a continuation of its capital levy to pay for those improvements.

Morelos emphasizes that partnerships with police and like the Boys and Girls Club providing mentorship as well as programs for students, can help mitigate the risk for schools.

“You can do so much to, to prevent it, but you’re still within that community and there’s still a lot of people surrounding the campus.”

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