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COMMUNITY SERVICE/SAFETY OFFICER

THE COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER IS UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF THE LIEUTENANT IN CHARGE OF TRAFFIC AND COMMUNITY SAFETY. THE COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER HAS THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF TRAINING, SCHEDULING AND SUPERVISING ALL TRAFFIC SUPERVISORS (CIVILIAN POSITIONS) WHILE CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN AROUND THE SCHOOLS. THE GENERAL DUTIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

SUPERVISES 18 TRAFFIC SUPERVISORS WHO COVER 62 SCHOOL CROSSINGS DAILY AND CHECKS WITH THEM PERIODICALLY TO DISCUSS SAFETY/TRAFFIC CONCERNS THEY MIGHT HAVE
ISSUE CITATIONS AND/OR SPEAK TO VIOLATORS OF TRAFFIC LAWS CONCERNING SCHOOL BUSES AND/OR INAPPROPRIATE DRIVING IN AND AROUND THE SCHOOLS
PERIODICALLY MEETS WITH PRINCIPLES AND HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEES AT EACH SCHOOL
ASSISTS ALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 3RD GRADE PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS WITH 3RD GRADE BIKE RODEO
ISSUES BICYCLE LICENSES
WORKS WITH THE COUNCIL ON AGING AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT REGARDING ELDERLY ISSUES
PERFORMS FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATIONS WITH ELDER SERVICES (SPRINGWELL)
SERVES AS THE POLICE LIAISON TO THE COMMISSION OF DISABILITIES
SERVES AS THE POLICE LIAISON TO THE NORFOLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT TRIAD COMMISSION
ASSISTS SRO WITH A.L.I.C.E. DRILLS
ASSISTS FIRE DEPT. WITH FIRE DRILLS

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School Resource Officer

The NPD has 2 School Resource Officers

High School
Middle and Elementary Schools

The NPD School Resource Officers play a valuable role within our community and historically have done an incredible job connecting with the Needham youth in many ways.
In the past, our SRO’s have attended sports games/performing arts plays and concerts, coached powderpuff, taught classes in the various schools, and taken students to lunch.
The COVID 19 pandemic bought on an entirely new challenge for our SROs to accomplish their jobs while working around numerous hurdles including COVID19 restrictions, virtual school, different cohorts, and juvenile mental health cases rising.
Our SROs were constantly in touch with Needham Public School guidance counselors to assist students in need both in school and out of school.

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Below are some examples of what our SROs did last year:

During the pandemic, our SROs would drop off food to numerous families in town who did not have the means to get to the pick-up locations
Regularly pick up students and drive them to school when in-person school resumed
Taught in person and virtual classes at many of the Needham Public Schools (i.e., 4^th amendment classes, Self-defense classes, cooking classes, internet safety classes, bullying classes, armed intruder trainings)
Held many classes with Staff at public and private schools in Needham during the pandemic to review armed intruder scenarios
Brought two Needham students to get eye exams and glasses fittings because the students could not see the board and their parents were unable to take them

Then reached out to the Needham Police Union and various organizations in town to have the glasses paid for

Would take walks with an autistic student during the early stages of the pandemic to get him out of his house
Bought a hospitalized student toiletries, clothing, birthday gifts and books. They also visited this student throughout her hospitalization
Connected with and have been resources for parents who have been struggling with their children for many different reasons

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Our SROs and Rocket (our Community Resource Dog) have made an increased amount of home visits and classroom visits during the past year, particularly to help students struggling with mental health issues
Helped tutor students for upcoming exams
Helped Needham students in need get into driving school free of cost
Run a free junior police academy for middle school students each summer
Donated bikes and bike helmets to students in need

Training

40 Hour SRO training course
Autism Awareness for Police Officers
Bullying Special Needs Kids
Understanding the Teen Brain
Diversity Training
Adult & Juvenile Crisis Intervention Training
Mental Health in LGBTQ Communities

SRO Continued

21/22 Training Post Mandatory State Training

The topics for State / POST Mandatory In-Service Training for the 2021-2022 are:

• Responding to Emergencies Involving Mentally ill

• De-escalation and Use of Force

• Cultural Competency and Responding to Mass Gatherings

• Human Trafficking

• Law Enforcement Officer Mental Wellness

• Law Enforcement Officer Suicide Prevention

• Critical Incident Stress Management

• Legal Update

• CPR / First Responder (Classroom and Practical)

• Firearms Re-Certification

The topics for Department Mandatory Training for the 2021-2022 are:

• Use of Force / Defensive Tactics (Classroom and Practical)

• Taser Recertification (Classroom and Practical)

• Active Shooter Simmunition Training

• BOLA Wrap (Classroom and Practical)

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Examples of engagement and support within the community

Community Resource Dog Rocket as an Emotional Support Animal to support students
Visit with neurodiverse students across school district
Support special education school staff, counselors, and therapists
Connect with families of neurodiverse students to provide out-of-school support
Teach school safety class to neurodiverse students and address and support their questions/concerns
Provide autism awareness seatbelts
Addressed/resolved safety concerns with schools and parents to provide safer environment for neurodiverse students
Participate in “Top Soccer,” a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities
Partnered with Needham Youth and Family Services to provide collaboration and support for youth

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MOU between Needham schools and Needham Police

Mission Statement, Goals, and Objectives

The mission is to facilitate relationship-building by the SRO such that students, faculty, staff, and community members see the SRO as contributing to a positive school climate. This will be realized by supporting and fostering the safe and healthy development of all students in the District through strategic and appropriate use of law enforcement resources and with the mutual understanding that school participation and completion are indispensable to achieving positive outcomes for youth and public safety.

The Parties are guided by the following goals and objectives (the “Goals and Objectives”):

To foster a safe and supportive school environment that allows all students to learn and flourish regardless of race, religion, national origin, immigration status, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or socioeconomic status;
To promote a strong partnership and communication between school and police personnel and clearly delineate their roles and responsibilities;
To establish a framework for principled conversation and decision-making by school and police personnel regarding student conduct and students in need of services;
To ensure that school personnel and SROs have clearly defined roles in responding to student conduct and that school administrators are responsible for code of conduct and routine disciplinary violations;
To minimize the number of students unnecessarily out of the classroom, arrested at school, or court-involved;

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To provide requirements and guidance for training, including SRO training required by law and consistent with best practices and training for school personnel as to when it is appropriate to request SRO intervention;
To outline processes for initiatives that involve the SRO and school personnel, such as violence prevention and intervention and emergency management planning, that can be provided upon request; and
To offer presentations and programming to the school focusing on criminal and juvenile justice issues; community and relationship building; and prevention, health, and safety topics.

Roles and Responsibilities of the SRO and School Administrators and Staff in Student Conduct

A “school resource officer” is a duly sworn municipal police officer, or a special officer appointed by the chief of police, with all necessary training and up-to-date certificates, including special school resource officer certification as required by subsection (b) of section 3 of chapter 6E of the General Laws and is charged with: (i) providing law enforcement; (ii) promoting school safety and security services to elementary and secondary public schools; and (iii) maintaining a positive school climate for all students, families and staff.

The Parties agree that school officials and the SRO play important and distinct roles in responding to student conduct to ensure school safety and promote a positive and supportive learning environment for all students.

Under state law, the SRO shall not (i) serve as school disciplinarian, enforcer of school regulations, or in place of licensed school psychologists, psychiatrists, or counselors; or (ii) use police powers to address traditional school discipline issues, including non-violent disruptive behavior.

The principal or principal’s designee shall be responsible for student code of conduct violations and routine disciplinary violations. The SRO shall be responsible for investigating and responding to potential criminal or delinquent offenses as well as student conduct that requires immediate intervention to maintain safety, as described below. The Parties acknowledge that many acts of student conduct that may contain all the necessary elements of a criminal offense are best handled through the school’s disciplinary process. The SRO shall read the student code of conduct for both the District and the school and seek clarification on any questions the SRO has. �

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Currently, there are 24 Needham officers certified in Crisis Intervention. Each year,

approximately 44 million adults will experience a serious mental health condition. Through

collaborative community partnerships and intensive training, CIT improves communication,

identifies mental health resources for those in crisis and ensures officer and community safety.

Our goal is to keep people with mental illness out of jail and in treatment, on the road to recovery.

On January 20, 2020, Needham Police named its 1^st Community Outreach Officer to follow

up on Mental Health calls and work with the individual to obtain the resources that are

needed. Some of this officer’s duties are:

Follow up with persons involved in Mental Health calls and Substance Abuse calls by phone and then arrange a follow up visit according to the Needham Community Crisis Intervention Team (NCCIT) Special Order
Act as a liaison to Beth Israel Deaconess Needham and Newton Wellesley Hospital to facilitate feedback and communication about Mental Health and Substance Abuse related transports
Meet monthly with the Needham Community Crisis Intervention Team (NCCIT) and report on new cases, as well as ongoing cases being managed
Meet quarterly with the Substance Prevention Alliance of Needham (SPAN)
Attend Norfolk District Attorney Monthly meetings regarding opioid abuse
Attend the Riverside System of Care discussions

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Our clinician works with our Community Outreach Officer and provides officers with clinical oversight to the support services

100% of officers have completed De-escalation mental health techniques for first responders
All officers are trained in Mental health First Aid
Approximately 50% all of officers are trained Crisis intervention.

We plan on training department but currently only offered 2 seats to this training when available. Covid has delayed the availability of these classes, but we will continue to train our officers.
I think there is confusion as to 20% being trained, the 20% threshold was required to meet the requirements of the IACP one mind pledge. We obviously have surpassed that requirement and will continue to do so going forward.

Benefits:

Call to Dover PD man had a gun and was going to harm self. Worked with Dover PD who kept individual on phone. Sgt responded and met with officers to develop a plan of action prior to rushing in and forcing a dangerous situation. The COO, who is familiar with the individual, responded to assist officers on scene. We were able to get the individual to come out where he was greeted by officers and the COO was able to talk to him through the incident and the situation concluded peacefully. The individual was transported to a critical care facility.

On December 18, 2020, the Needham Police Department (in partnership with the Dedham Police Department) hired a Law Enforcement Clinician through Riverside Community Care

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