Arlington

Arlington Police Department To Reintroduce Car Seat Safety Inspections

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Arlington Police Department
Julie Flaherty, Acting Chief of Police
112 Mystic St.
Arlington, MA 02474

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Arlington Police Department To Reintroduce Car Seat Safety Inspections

ARLINGTON — Acting Chief Julie Flaherty is pleased to announce that the Arlington Police Department is reintroducing car seat safety inspections after Officers Joseph Canniff and Daniel Styffe recently became certified child safety seat technicians.

In September, Officers Canniff and Styffe took the National Child Passenger Safety Certification Training course, sponsored by Safe Kids Worldwide, to become certified child safety seat inspectors. Certified inspectors can help determine if your car seat is appropriate for your child’s age and size, can ensure that your safety seat is properly installed and can answer questions about child safety seats.

Residents are encouraged to have their car seats inspected by a certified technician. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 59 percent of children’s car seats are installed incorrectly.

To schedule an inspection, Arlington residents can email [email protected] with their phone number and availability for an appointment. An officer will then coordinate an appointment to inspect the car seat.

Appointments will be held at the Arlington Police Department at 112 Mystic St. The car seat must already be installed in order to be inspected.

“We are excited to offer this program once again as another way to serve our community,” Acting Chief Flaherty said. “We’re pleased that Officers Caniff and Styffe have taken the initiative to become certified and we’re happy to be able to assist residents by making sure that their child’s seat is installed correctly to ensure they’re best protected.”

Additional information on Arlington Police Department’s Car Seat Installation program can be found here.

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A Statement from Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Kathleen Bodie and Principal Brian Meringer

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Retained by the Town of Arlington Health and Human Services Department

Arlington Public Schools
Superintendent Kathleen Bodie
869 Massachusetts Ave.
Arlington, MA 02474

For Immediate Release

Monday, Oct. 7, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: ben@jgpr.net

A Statement from Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Kathleen Bodie and Principal Brian Meringer

ARLINGTON — The following is an update from Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Kathleen Bodie and Ottoson Middle School Principal Brian Meringer on the anti-Semitic graffiti and meme that was found in a bathroom at the middle school on Friday, Oct. 4.

Please note, the district will not be releasing information about the students that have been found responsible and the consequences they will be facing.

“Parents were notified by Ottoson school administrators on Friday, Oct. 4, along with Arlington Police and the Arlington Human Rights Commission, about anti-Semitic graffiti found in a bathroom at the Ottoson Middle School.

In response to the graffiti, several steps have been taken to speak to students about the incident and the ramifications that hate speech can have.

On Monday morning, seventh grade students met in the gym during their ASPIRE class and were told about Friday’s events. School leadership emphasized to the seventh grade that hate speech is not tolerated at the Arlington Public Schools or elsewhere.

It was also emphasized to students that every member of our school community has a right to be safe from derogatory remarks about race, religion and/or sexual preference and gender identity. Eighth grade students will be meeting with administrators on Tuesday, Oct. 8, regarding the incident and will receive the same information.

The school will be showing videos of how groups have responded to hate speech later in the week.

We want to stress that middle school students make mistakes. Our obligation is to help them learn from this incident. However, middle school educators also worry about future incidents. It is not uncommon for middle school students to copycat actions that warrant a response in order to get attention.

Nationally, hate crimes are on the rise and students often mirror what they see and hear outside of school. We have attached a report from the Anti-Defamation League that speaks to the increase of hate crimes. We encourage parents to have a conversation with their children about the impact of hate speech of any kind.

Finally, we will continue to strive to be a more inclusive and accepting school community.

Last year, Ottoson School administrators invited Dr. Carlos Hoyt to talk to eighth grade students about the use of the ‘n-word’ before reading To Kill a Mockingbird. The school also hosted a ‘No Place for Hate’ soccer clinic run by the Chelsea Football Club, which combined soccer with classroom sessions on the dangers of anti-Semitism. A group of middle school students were empowered to raise money to paint a gender-neutral bathroom with the hope of preventing graffiti. This summer, school and district officials met with the Arlington Police and the Human Rights Commission to document procedures to respond to hate speech and bias.

At the school and district level, we are continuing our professional development on cultural competency, and examining our curriculum for opportunities to teach our students about inclusive behavior.

We look toward moving forward from this incident through teaching, tolerance and understanding.”

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Arlington Police Provide Update on Medication Disposal Drop Box

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Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Arlington Police Provide Update on Medication Disposal Drop Box

Thousands of Pounds of Unused Prescription Drugs Disposed of Since 2012

ARLINGTON — Acting Chief Julie Flaherty and Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition (AYHSC) Director Karen Koretsky wish to share an update on the success of the community’s Medication Disposal Drop Box.

In June 2012, the Arlington Police Department, in partnership with the AYHSC, installed a Medication Disposal Drop Box in the lobby of the Arlington Police Headquarters. The drop box allows Arlington residents to dispose of unused, unwanted or expired medications. The secure collection box is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

Every six weeks APD’s Property Officer/Inspector takes the unwanted drugs that have been collected to a local incinerator for destruction, which helps to keep substances out of landfills or from being flushed down the drain. On average, the Inspector delivers approximately 220 pounds of medications to the incinerator every six weeks.

The department estimates that 1,900 pounds of unwanted medications are disposed of each year. Since the installation of the disposal box in 2012, an estimated 14,000 pounds of unwanted medications have been collected and destroyed.

“The collection site has fulfilled the need for an environmentally sound medication disposal option which helps to ensure that excess medications are kept out of the hands of people not meant to have them,” Acting Chief Flaherty said.

The collection box is part of Arlington’s continued efforts to reduce the supply of unwanted medications, especially those with a high potential for misuse, within the community.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2017, an estimated 18 million people misused prescription medications at least once during the previous year. Among youth, prescription drugs are the most widely abused illicit drugs after alcohol, marijuana and tobacco. Furthermore, studies show that the majority of youth obtain prescription drugs from friends and relatives, often without their knowledge.

Along with the 24/7 drop box, Arlington Police have participated in each of the DEA Drug Take Back events since September 2010. Since their first year participating, the department has taken in and disposed of approximately 2,500 pounds of medication.

APD and AYHSC also take steps to educate the community on the importance of properly disposing of medications.

“This multi-faceted approach to medication disposal is a fantastic initiative where several local partners work together to help improve the safety of the community and the environment,” Director Koretsky said. “September is recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as National Recovery Month, so this is a great time to raise awareness for proper medication disposal and its impact on preventing and reducing prescription drug abuse.”

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Arlington Police Appoint Bryan White as New School Resource Officer

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Arlington Police Department
Julie Flaherty, Acting Chief of Police
112 Mystic St.
Arlington, MA 02474

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Arlington Police Appoint Bryan White as New School Resource Officer

Officer Bryan White began his new role as School Resource Officer for Arlington Schools on Monday, Aug. 19. (Courtesy Photo Arlington Police)

ARLINGTON — Acting Chief Julie Flaherty is pleased to announce that Officer Bryan White has been appointed as the Arlington Police Department’s new School Resource Officer (SRO).

Officer White officially stepped into his new role on Monday, and will serve as the SRO for all Arlington Schools. 

He began his career as a patrol officer for the Arlington Police Department in 2012, and most recently was assigned to the Homeless Outreach Program, where he worked with community partners to provide service, care and resources for the town’s homeless population.

Since 2016, Officer White has also taught students at the Middlesex Sheriff’s annual Youth Public Safety Academy about personal safety, health related issues, anti-bullying and team building. He has also served at the Arlington Health, Recreation and Cops (HRC) Camp since 2015, where he taught young people about Arlington’s Police and Fire Departments as well as health and safety issues.

“It’s been a career-long goal of mine to hold this position and have a chance to represent the department in the schools,” Officer White said. “Through my first seven years as a patrol officer, I have been lucky to be chosen to participate in many student related and community policing activities. I have enjoyed working with Arlington’s youth and building relationships between them and the police department, and I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to work with students every day.”

Officer White is an Arlington High School alumni, and graduated in 2004. Prior to his career in law enforcement, he worked as a special education assistant teacher, student supervisor and Dean’s assistant at Minuteman High School. He also served as a head coach and assistant coach for ice hockey and lacrosse at Arlington and Minuteman High Schools.

“Officer White was a natural choice for this role, and I’m confident his time working with young people and performing community outreach, coupled with his experiences as a coach and educator, has prepared him well to protect and serve Arlington students and educators for years to come,” Interim Chief Flaherty said.

Officer White was awarded Certificates of Commendation by the Arlington Police Department in 2016 and 2019, and was recognized in 2014 for his response to the Boston Marathon bombing. He is trained in LAMP Trauma, ALERRT Active Shooter protocol, Crime Scene Preservation, Diversity/Transgender Training, Autism Training for Police, and is certified in COBWEB and narcotics identification.

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