The Lowell Police Department’s School Resource Officers, including K-9 Mack, at Lowell High School earlier this school year. From left are Officer Kyle Van, Officer Mindy Dower, Officer Paul Robbins, K-9 Mack, Sgt. Joe Kelly, Officer Dominic Lessieur, Officer Tim Sullivan and Officer Jose Santiago. (Photo Courtesy Lowell Police Department) 
School Resource Officer Mindy Dower exclaims after being handcuffed to an antique wagon by a Lowell boy while playing at Lowell Police Youth Outreach Day in September. (Photo Courtesy Lowell Police Department) 
Lowell Officer Paul Robbins and his K-9 partner Mack visit with three children at the event. (Photo Courtesy Lowell Police Department)
LOWELL — Acting Superintendent Barry Golner reports that the Lowell Police Department expanded its School Resource Officer Program to include six officers and a supervisor working in schools across the city, and that the program will be expanded further.
The Lowell Police Department’s School Resource Officer Program at one point before the pandemic had eight sworn officers and a sergeant working in schools across the city, at a time when the population of both the city and schools was lower.
Due to staffing levels department wide, the School Resource Officer Program was reduced to just a supervisor and three officers as recently as 2020.
In 2021, Officer Paul Robbins and K-9 Mack were added to the program, and an additional two officers were added in 2022, bringing the current roster of School Resource Officers to a supervisor — Sgt. Joe Kelly — and six sworn officers. Those officers include Officer Robbins, Officer Mindy Dower, Officer Kyle Van, Officer Dominic Lessieur, Officer Tim Sullivan and Officer Jose Santiago.
Officers Lessieur and Sullivan are assigned to work shifts from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — unusual hours that allow the officers to assist Lowell Police Youth Services with after-school programming as well.
“I think it’s important, especially as a new Lowell High School is opened, that we have a strong contingent of School Resource Officers providing assistance and building relationships throughout city schools, and I would like to thank the Lowell School Department for being a strong and engaged partner,” said Acting Superintendent Golner. “We hope to soon expand the SRO program to include one more officer, which will bring our contingent back to nearly the strength it was at before the pandemic.”
Expanding the unit not only leads to more robust police services at Lowell High School. It also enables police to have a stronger presence in the city’s middle and elementary schools as well.
“I am grateful for the strong partnership the Lowell Public Schools has with the Lowell Police Department and Acting Superintendent Golner,” said Superintendent of Schools Joel Boyd. “School Resource Officers are important members of the Lowell Public Schools community, not only in providing a sense of safety and security in our buildings, but also in building relationships, mentoring students, and being positive role models and trusted adults in our schools. I am excited to see that this program is expanding and hope it continues to be robust for many years to come.”