Moving forward with our commitment to providing a safe and secure campus, the administration hired retired police Deputy Commander Wilfred Cruz to be the school’s first-ever Director of Campus Security.
“We recognize the importance of being prepared to handle a crisis,” said Jose E. Roca, principal. “With Mr. Cruz at the helm, we will continue to build on our existing training and security protocols, although we pray that we never have to use them.”
Among his first tasks on the job, Cruz conducted a month long security assessment of the campus. His findings, along with existing plans to build a new perimeter fence, guard house and security office are already in the works. Additionally, new employees are being added to create a security team which will be on-hand during all school functions.
“From the obvious to the not so obvious, by the time the school year begins there will be increased security measures,” said Cruz. “This is an ongoing and evolving plan, but one that the administration is committed to seeing through.”
Students and parents will see uniformed security guards monitoring access during school hours. Guests arriving will have to check in with the security team before entering. Miami-Dade police officers will continue to have a presence and perform routine patrols of the school buildings and perimeter.
Cruz served on the City of Miami police force for 35 years and remains as a reserve police officer. He has extensive training in: management/ leadership training, active shooter emergency response, weapons of mass destruction training, emergency management and more. Cruz has a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership from St. Thomas University. Additionally, he served as the Safety School Coordinator from 1993 to 2017 at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart.
“As I look back on my 35 years with the City of Miami Police Department, I can truly say that I have enjoyed serving the community and working with a great team of officers. Now retired, I am really excited to work as Director of Security at Belen Jesuit,” said Cruz. “I am looking forward to all the new challenges and opportunities. My number one priority is the safety and security of everyone on campus. I will utilize my knowledge, skills, values, and experience to promote teamwork, organizational growth, and an atmosphere of caring and trust among staff, faculty, students and visitors.”