Grapevine Police Officer Patrick O'Neal received state recognition for his years-long work to improve police response times for school emergencies.

Officer Patrick O’Neal was 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. The Grapevine Police Department is proud to partner with both GIS and the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in this endeavor.