ISD police departments use professional police officers to make the school a safer place. The ISD officer may be uniformed or in plain clothes but is almost always armed. More than 65 school districts in Texas have organized and equipped police agencies. The State law enacted in 1993 lets each school district determine the duties of its officers and define its jurisdiction. School trustees are expanding the jurisdictions of ISD police so that officers can make school-related arrests off school property. A conference in March 1995 brought representatives of 46 of these police agencies together to discuss problems, explore alternative policies, and examine issues relating to ISD policing in Texas. Topics included legal matters, budgeting, resource management, legislative affairs, child abuse, interagency cooperation, and how to make schools safer. A survey of the participants revealed that an estimated 9,541 assaults of students by students and 1,193 student attacks on teachers took place in the last year. Sixty-one percent of the agencies use some type of metal detector. Agencies also use surveillance cameras, enforce dress codes, and prohibit the wearing of gang colors. Fifty-five percent considered assault the most important school crime problem. Figures, list of participating agencies, and 5 references