For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Burlington Police Department Holds Meetings on Workplace Violence, Safety and Crime Prevention for Area Businesses
BURLINGTON — Chief Michael Kent is pleased to announce that the Burlington Police Department recently held a series of meetings with local business owners and managers to educate them on vital workplace safety issues.
The meetings, held on Monday, Nov. 21 at the Grand View Farm in Burlington, were the third installment of the series, which originated in 2014.
“Our community is home to a large and diverse business population, including small, medium, and large companies with tens of thousands of employees commuting into Burlington each day,” Chief Kent said. “Our department is committed to working with our business community to ensure that Burlington remains a safe and thriving place to work, live, and visit.”
Over the course of the day, police offered three courses on workplace safety, each catered to a specific group of managers.
Addressing Workplace Violence
In conjunction with the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC), officers addressed the issue of workplace violence. Discussion centered around how to detect, deter, and prevent violence in the workplace. Attendees were also given an overview of the Burlington Police Department’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP), an all hazards approach to staying safe at school and work, to prepare business owners by educating them on what to do in the event of violence in the workplace.
The SRP focuses on the four things people can do to stay safe during an emergency: lockdown, lockout, evacuate, and take shelter.
This was the second consecutive year that BPD conducted this training session for BACC members.
“The Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce is proud of the working relationship we have with the Burlington Police Department,” said Rick Parker, President of the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce. “The BPD works very hard to protect all of Burlington, which during the day includes a large population of businesses and their employees. The business community is very fortunate to have access and an ongoing partnership with the BPD to keep this large segment of our community informed and safe.”
Safety and Trends in the Banking Industry
For the past three years, the Burlington Police Department has been meeting with bank managers and bank security professionals to discuss safety and security issues within the banking industry. Discussion included a review of the police department’s response to bank incidents and robberies, as well as an overview of current scams and fraudulent activities victimizing the public. Two agents from the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force (formerly known as the Bank Robbery Task Force) gave a presentation on recent robbery trends and offered tips for robbery prevention.
Bankers were briefed on two serial bank robbers that have struck numerous banks in eastern Massachusetts: the ‘Spelling Bee Bandit’ who spells ‘robbery’ wrong on his notes, and the ‘Incognito Bandit’ who dresses in all black.
Daycare and Private Education Facilities
The department’s final meeting was with owners and managers of commercial daycare and private education facilities in town. A representative from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) was present to answer questions and provide attendees with pertinent information on how to comply with EEC regulations while implementing the security measures offered by the department.
Mirroring protocol used in Burlington Public Schools, the department also gave attendees an introduction to Standard Response Protocol.
“We are proud to offer support, resources, and education to these businesses that help our children, our economy, and our town,” said Detective James Tigges, who organized the program. “Any information we can share to keep these businesses safe is beneficial to our entire community.”
Continued Support
Officers also offered to visit any workplace in the town to perform on-site trainings and crime prevention assessments. Many business owners and managers eagerly agreed to have officers come to their workplace to educate employees on workplace violence, safety, crime prevention strategies and emergency response.
The Burlington Police Department has grown this program each of the past three years and hopes to add additional programs, panels and trainings in the future. Any member of the business community with questions or who wishes to schedule a training session with the Burlington Police Department is invited to call Detective Tigges at 781-505-4921.
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