This Page Was Last Updated: 06/18/07
Bike Patrol officers must first attend and successfully complete a challenging three-day course called C.O.B.W.E.B. or “Cops on Bikes With Education for Bicyclists.” The course teaches safe riding techniques, proper nutrition and apprehending criminals while riding a modified “police” mountain bike. A Bike Patrol officer is then outfitted in special lightweight gear, which allows them to ride a bicycle while wearing required police equipment. Officers now have the option to participate in Mobile Deployment, which features a bicycle mounted on the rear of a cruiser. The officer wears the special bicycle gear and is able to park the cruiser and utilize the bicycle for any circumstance it may be needed.
The Lexington Police Bike Patrol has spoken to numerous groups such as Boy/Girl Scout troops, elementary school classes, and fraternal organizations regarding bicycle safety tips and the Bike Patrol. If you would like to arrange for a Bike Patrol member to address a group or simply have any questions regarding the Lexington Police Bike Patrol feel free to contact Sergeant Mike McLean by phone at 781-862-1212 or by email at mmclean@ci.lexington.ma.us
The Lexington Police Department has advanced the safety of children riding in vehicles through our partnership with the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau (GHSB) and the Lexington Fire Department. The "Lexington Child Passenger Safety Program" began with the training of technicians in 1998. It continues strong today with technicians scheduling appointments and checking seats on an almost daily basis.
Massachusetts law requires that children under 5 years of age and under 40 pounds must be properly secured in a child safety seat. However, recent statistics issued by the Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau show that 22% of children five and under were observed riding unrestrained in motor vehicles. They also shows that nearly 95% of child safety seats checked in Massachusetts are improperly installed. It was the alarming results of statistics like these that led to the development of the Lexington Child Passenger Safety Program.
The police department now has four officers trained in child passenger safety; they are Lt. James Barry, Sgt. Paul Callahan, Officer Susan McIntyre and Officer Tamzin Duffy. These technicians inspect and teach the proper installation of car seats to people who have contacted the police department requesting help. If you would like to schedule an appointment to have a seat checked you can call the police station business line at (781) 862-1212 and ask for the general mail box for car seat technicians, leave your contact information for a return call to set up an appointment. You may also e-mail any of these officers to schedule an appointment. Just click on their email links below.
Lt. Barry JBarry@ci.lexington.ma.us
Sgt. Callahan PCallahan@ci.lexington.ma.us
Officer Susan McIntyre SMcIntyre@ci.lexington.ma.us
Officer Tamzin Duffy TDuffy@ci.lexington.ma.us
The Lexington Police Department established a Motorcycle
Operations Unit in March of 2001. This
was in response to the Police Department’s Focus Group recommendation, citizen
surveys and local concern over
traffic safety. The unit is used to enhance our community policing
initiatives, with emphasis on selective traffic enforcement.
A Motorcycle is a flexible vehicle that allows for greater
enforcement in highly congested areas such as Lexington Center, were it is
sometimes difficult to position and maneuver a cruiser.
It is often used in tandem with our low profile cruiser to address
specific community traffic safety concerns.
The motorcycle provides for a more visible and approachable
officers creating new opportunities for positive interaction between youths and
the police department. The
motorcycle has been used to strengthen and create partnerships with the schools,
recreation, and other civic and community groups. It’s used in community events such as the Patriot’s Day
Parade, Discovery Day, road races, escorts and other community activities.
The motorcycle provides an invaluable tool in working with large groups
while projecting a positive image for the town.
The Motorcycle unit is comprised of Patrol Officers; Sgt. John Mazerall, Don Barter, George Grundhoff, Alex Hagenah and Lt. Manny Ferro who oversees the units operations. Each officer has received specialized training, in safe technical and tactical operations of a police motorcycle.
The North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) and regional school officials have come together to ensure safe and secure school environments conducive to learning.
The School Threat Assessment and Response System's mission is to prepare, assess, respond, and strive to prevent threats of violence in our schools through a regional program that recognizes the individual uniqueness and integrity of each community.
This multi-tiered assessment and response system is designed to provide local officials access to specialized resources developed through a collaborative effort.
Utilizing the STARS System Protocol, incidents and threats are addressed through response classifications involving varying degrees of consultation, readiness, and intervention.
Once STARS is initiated, local systems and efforts are augmented by NEMLEC's regionally coordinated resources including access to personnel and experts with specialized skills, planning and training opportunities, communications systems, equipment and advanced technologies, and protocols for program and technique evaluation.
As with all NEMLEC programs and initiatives, the School Threat Assessment and Response System provides a mechanism to ensure communication, coordination, and interaction between member agencies in an efficient and cost effective manner with recognition and respect for the need to maintain control at the community level.
The STARS program makes certain resources available to member communities. At this time in the program's development these resources include the following.
 | STARS Response Team |
Made available through the NEMLEC Regional Response Team (RRT), STARS Teams made up of both law enforcement and school personnel who have received specialized training and experience in the assessment of threats of violence in school facilities will assist local police and school officials determining the seriousness of threats and make recommendations for appropriate responses.
| Bomb Detection Canine |
Made available through the NRMLRC Regional Response Team (RRT) in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol and Firearms (ATF), an ATF trained explosive device detection canine and law enforcement handler is available to local police and school officials.
| Equipment and Technology Pilot Testing and Evaluation |
As a component of the STARS program, pilot testing and evaluation of various types of equipment and advanced technologies will occur in selected schools and school systems from NEMLEC member communities.
| School Facility Floor Plans |
Floor plans of each school facility in NEMLEC member communities will be developed and provided to local law enforcement and school officials in both hard copy (booklet) and electronic (computer disc) formats.
| Document Examiner (Handwriting Expert) Services |
Made available through the NEMLEC Regional Response Team (RRT), the services of a qualified document examiner (handwriting expert) are made available to local law enforcement and school officials.
| Additional STARS program resources currently under development include: |
| Local Critical Incident Planning and Preparation Information Technology Systems |
| Mobile Incident Command and Communications Capabilities |
| Mental Health Evaluation and Consultation Service |
| Computer Crime Forensic Investigation Capabilities ~ Regional Internet (WEB-based) GIS and Information Sharing System |
| Public Information and Media Relations Capabilities |
STARS Article
March 6 - 12, 2000
Massachusetts’ Proactive Approach to Youth Violence Prevention
By Meghan Fay, Internet Reporter
When a 6-year-old boy fatally shot his classmate in Michigan last week, communities nationwide were shocked. But the incident also reaffirmed many of the efforts school districts are making to identify and assess those youth who need help and attention.
Many communities in the Boston area, in light of these recent school violence incidents, have reevaluated school safety protocols and become more proactive in their efforts to thwart violence among at-risk youth. "If it can happen in a school like [Columbine High School, a school that seemed to be a model school], it could happen in any of our communities. We’re not immune," said Leo Sacco, Chief of Police in Medford, Massachusetts and President of the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC).
NEMLEC is a consortium of police chiefs from 26 communities, who meet monthly to discuss issues that concern their communities. According to Sacco, although school safety has always been a concern, after Columbine it became a topic of conversation that demanded action. "As police officers we do a great job of responding to incidents, but we realize that it’s not enough; we need to focus on violence prevention," said Sacco.
STARS Bridges Communication Gap Between Law Enforcement and Educators
Officials created STARS, which stands for School Threat Assessment Response System, to make school violence prevention a joint effort between NEMLEC and area school superintendents. The mission of STARS is, "to prepare, assess, respond and strive to prevent threats of violence in schools through a regional program that recognizes the individual uniqueness and integrity of each community."
STARS unifies the school safety efforts of both law enforcement officials and school superintendents. With the increase in communication between the two entities, a new plane of understanding has been reached. Sacco explains that officers now understand that educators want law enforcement involved in school safety efforts, but are, "really looking to keep the learning environment as normal as possible."
The program sets out 18 different incidents/threat response areas, including written and electronic incidents (i.e. Internet, e-mail), weapons/firearms incidents; gang activity; narcotics incidents; hate crime and diversity incidents; and fatalities, suicides or attempted suicides. Each of these potential incidents has an appropriate response classification and response level -- either local, regional or state and federal. There are five, three-member assessment teams called STAR Teams, which consist of a representative each from law enforcement, education and mental health services, charged with assessing situations.
There isn’t one answer to preventing school violence, but many feel as though increased communication between educators and law enforcement is one key to Massachusetts’ present success. While suburban communities are working with NEMLEC and developing the pilot program STARS, the Boston Public School system is continuing its work with the juvenile justice roundtables to address school violence prevention.
At-Risk Youth Benefit From Roundtable Discussions
Five years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney, Ralph C. Martin II, established the Community Based Juvenile Justice Program (CBJJ) to reduce juvenile crime, increase school and community safety and to identify and develop innovative intervention strategies for juveniles who are at risk for developing delinquent behavior. Currently, 60 percent of the high schools and 47 percent of the middle schools in Boston participate in CBJJ. The goal is to intervene in the lives of at risk youth as soon as school or agency personnel identify them.
"What we are faced with is a wide range of different departments and agencies who don’t know what each other are doing and occasionally they work against each other," said John Sisco, Chief of Safety Security and Chief of School Police for Boston Public Schools. The juvenile justice roundtables bring the following agencies together, literally, at the same table: representatives from the District Attorney’s office, probation, Boston Police Department, Department of Youth Services, Department of Social Services, Department of Mental Health, School Headmaster or Superintendent, Student Support Coordinator and attendance officer.
All of the parties involved in the roundtable discussions are bound by confidentiality regulations so no minutes are taken nor are there any written documents shared between individuals. All information is shared in conversation. "It enlightens us to the status of the child and what services they are getting and what services need to be enhanced. We are operating outside the box in the best interest of the clients we serve," said Sisco. The roundtables have become a crucial element to providing adequate services to youth because usually confidentiality regulations prevent sharing information about youth receiving services.
The juvenile justice roundtables work to catch kids before they fall through the cracks and also try to prevent a duplication of services. The youth who are discussed at the roundtable are referred from the school system. If a youth hasn’t caused trouble in school, then their name won’t come up at the table. But if the school exhausts its resources in trying to help the youth, the students name will get mentioned to develop a comprehensive plan of services to address the student’s needs.
The intervention can range from organizing a visit from a probation officer to an intervention to deal with mental health related behavior. "We’re a safety net," said Sisco. "Our systems have holes in them and this is an effort to catch those kids who fall through"
According to Amy Chris, Program Coordinator for the community based juvenile justice roundtables, however, not everyone is pleased with the juvenile justice roundtables. The collaboration effort receives criticism from defense attorneys and different community groups who feel left out of the discussion. Chris believes that the critics are concerned that the discussions are punitive in nature, which she assures they are not.
According to Ann Todd, Student Support Coordinator for Dorchester High School in Dorchester, Massachusetts, she finds out about students who are exhibiting at-risk behavior or are having difficulties either by a referral from a student or teacher or the name is brought up at the roundtable.
"We’re not pinpointing kids to get them in trouble. It’s to get them resources," she said. The roundtables evolved from frustrations over duplicated services, the schools feeling powerless and a need to effectively reach youth with services. Whereas, schools used to feel as though they were working in the dark and had no resources to turn to, now, "I have a name, a face and a person I know to contact," when I need to get help for a student, said Todd.
For more information on the Stars program and the School Resource officer program, contact Dana Ham at 781-862-1212 or e-mail dham@ci.lexington.ma.us
Welcome to the School Resource
Officer (SRO) page of the Lexington Police Web site!
This site is meant to be
interactive. We want feedback from anyone who visits on how to make our program
work for the kids. Likewise, we will share any information on how to establish
and run your new program. Feel free to browse through our pages and learn
more about our program and our schools.
The Lexington PD / Lexington High School SRO Program was
started in August 1995 with one Lexington Police officer. Officer Jim Rettman is assigned to the "Lexington High School."
As of the 1998 school year,
this changed and a second SRO was assigned to assist both middle schools in
Lexington
Each officer is a daily figure
on campus, spending most of his or her shift at school. Unlike other
school-based officers, Lexington SRO’s are responsible for The Lexington
School systems 9 schools. This allows them to interact daily with students and
break down some of the stereotypes of police so often found in the public. We
also talk about choices
students make, careers
and other possible life changing decisions they face.
While many people have asked,
"Is it bad enough that we need officers on campus all day?" The answer
is a flat NO!
This program was designed with prevention, as it's first goal. The officers make themselves available
daily to students, parents and staff. Much of each day is spent counseling kids
through problems at home, school and in their personal relationships.
Both Lexington Officers were
sent to SRO training and are certified by the National Association Of School
Resource Officers. Both officers have been trained in the Triad concept of:
| Teaching
|
| Counseling
|
| Enforcement
|
Already into our 6th year
(we're still seniors, but didn't graduate) each officer has made hundreds of
friends on campus. Each has dealt with a variety of problems.
Every day, students come to
the officers in the halls, and in their offices to ask questions or just to
talk. Although officers can make off-campus appointments (at the PD or home) for
students who do not wish to talk on campus, almost all students choose to meet
at school. It's not a bad thing to be seen talking to the police in the
Lexington school system.
Students who before would
never consider calling the PD for advice, or even talk to an officer about a
problem, come to them time after time needing help or offering information
Teachers are buying into the
program as well and have the officers in the class to speak on search and
seizure law, driving issues, Domestic Violence and plain old Q&A sessions.
Classes usually join in and the interaction is great!
In
the near future another officer will be assigned to work full time at the
Minuteman Regional High school this will again expand on a very positive program
in Lexington