Lowell shows that police in schools works
Faced with the growing concerns of students, parents and staff over violent incidents in the city’s schools, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has considered placing police officers back on school grounds.
Police haven’t been stationed inside Boston’s schools since the summer of 2021. But with the recent rash of violent episodes, some city councilors and families have called for a police presence, while other parents and education advocates want to explore other safety alternatives.
Apparently, Mayor Wu isn’t prepared to put out the welcome mat for the men and women in blue. Instead, Boston Public Schools have been negotiating a sort of memorandum of understanding that spells out the school-police relationship.
It reportedly clarifies under what circumstances a police response would be appropriate.
But should the mayor have a change of heart, Boston’s police chief has indicated his department would be ready to assist.
“I would speak on behalf of my department to say we would welcome being a part of the schools,” Police Commissioner Michael Cox said in a recent interview on “Nightside with Dan Rea” on WBZ News Radio 1030.
“We’re willing to have any role possible to keep these kids safe and to help mentor kids and help build relationships, strong relationships, well into the future,” he added.
His comments came just a day before a bullet was found in the parking lot of Henderson K-12 Inclusion School in Dorchester.
The move to articulate the role of police in schools mirrors a recommendation made in January by the Council of Great City Schools, an outside consultant.
For those politicians and activists at the local and state level that insist police don’t belong in our public schools, we counter with one current Lowell police officer’s positive experience with school resource officers as a student, and the positive role models they became for her career choice.
The Lowell Police Department recently announced that it’s added a seventh member, Erica Torres, to its School Resource Officer Unit.
According to the press release announcing her appointment, Officer Torres has joined the unit and is now working in Lowell Public Schools, which she also attended.
A Lowell High School graduate, Torres has served with the Lowell Police Department since 2020, and is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Anna Maria College.
“Growing up in Back Central and going to Lowell Public schools, I was able to get to know some of my SRO’S throughout the schools,” Torres stated in the release. “I remember one SRO, Officer Sergio Maldonado, and how greatly he made a positive impact in my life. With that great influence and me becoming a police officer, I have always wanted to pass that forward. So, when the SRO opportunity arose, I was excited to have a chance to connect with the students and be that positive influence.”
The department’s SRO Unit was reduced during the coronavirus pandemic, but with the addition of Torres, it’s now back at full strength.
Fluent in both English and Portuguese, Torres joins fellow School Resource Officers Paul Robbins, Dominic Lessieur, Kyle Van, Mindy Dower, Tim Sullivan and Jose Santiago, along with Sgt. Joe Kelly.
“Our school resource officers work in one of our most important positions, on the forefront of our efforts to build relationships with youth, our schools, and our community,” Lowell Police Acting Superintendent Barry Golner said in the release.
“The Lowell Police Department and Lowell Public Schools enjoy an excellent and close working relationship, and I am excited to have Officer Torres join our SRO team.”
While some want to promote an untenable dynamic, the actions of resource officers in Lowell and other school districts statewide present an entirely different picture.
SROS can inject humanity into everyday interactions with students, not just when they’re called to defuse a violent situation.
In that way, police can be viewed as allies — not adversaries, as social-justice warriors like to portray.
Boston’s public school system would be a safer and more inclusive place if it adopted some degree of in-school police presence.