ROUND ROCK, Texas — A new face will soon lead the Round Rock ISD Police Department.
Ryan Urrutia, the current assistant chief deputy of the El Paso Sheriff's Office, will take over a department described by district employees as "toxic" and "chaotic" in a report released earlier this year.
Urrutia takes over for Dennis Weiner, who was at the helm of the police department for nearly two years before a "personnel change" in May.
Weiner parted ways with the district following the report, which alleged several issues inside the department including favoritism, retaliation and poor communication. The report also stated that some employees received stipends for extra hours, while others did not.
Who is Ryan Urrutia?
Currently, Urrutia helps oversee nearly 260 officers and support staff, along with a budget of about $26 million.
He has served the El Paso area for more than 28 years and helped expand the school resource officer program across four of the county's school districts.
Urrutia says that by collaborating closely with school boards, he was able to help connect law enforcement and young people through different initiatives to help build relationships and trust.
Urrutia joined the sheriff's office in 1996 as a detention officer before being promoted to deputy sheriff in 1997. He would then become a commander for the sheriff's office, leading four patrol stations along with emergency response and crisis intervention teams.
According to El Paso Matters, records show Urrutia had five internal complaints filed against him, resulting in three letters of reprimand. The reprimands range from not turning in traffic citations to violating the vehicle pursuit policy
Urrutia is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and received his master's degree from Perdue University. He'll officially join Round Rock ISD on Sept. 17.
