October 6, 2017

Melrose Police Charge Juvenile Following Incident at High School

Jessica Sacco ⋅ Client News, Police News ⋅ charges, high school, Melrose, MHS, police department, threats ⋅ 0 Comments

Melrose Police Department
Michael L. Lyle, Chief
56 W. Foster St.
Melrose, MA 02176

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, Oct. 6, 2017

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

Melrose Police Charge Juvenile Following Incident at High School

MELROSE — Police Chief Michael L. Lyle reports that the Melrose Police Department charged a student following an incident at Melrose High School this morning.

A 16-YEAR-OLD MALE JUVENILE, OF MELROSE, is charged with Disrupting a School Assembly and Assault and Battery on a Police Officer. He was scheduled to be arraigned at Cambridge Juvenile Court today.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., administrators at MHS received a report that a male student may have made threats and may be in possession of a firearm.

School administrators immediately placed the school into lockdown mode, while the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School sheltered in place.

The School Resource Officer and administrators responded to the student’s classroom and detained the juvenile. After conducting a search of his person and backpack, no weapon was found.

Soon after speaking with police, the juvenile student became agitated and started to leave the building. Melrose Police pursued the student, who became aggressive and refused to comply with officers’ instructions.

Melrose Police eventually placed the student under arrest. During that process, one Melrose Police Officer suffered a leg injury and was treated and then released from a local hospital.

The lockdown was lifted at 9:45 a.m. and classes resumed as normal.

“I want to stress that there was never any danger to the community during this incident,” Chief Lyle said. “I commend faculty, staff, administrators, students and officers for their work today and know that our community shares its thoughts and well wishes for our injured officer as he recovers.”

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October 6, 2017

Stoughton Schools Respond after Student Draws Swastika on Computer

John Guilfoil ⋅ Client News, School News ⋅ ADL, Anti-Defamation League, high school, Stoughton Public Schools, swastika, training ⋅ 0 Comments

Stoughton Public Schools
Superintendent Marguerite Rizzi
232 Pearl St.,
Stoughton, MA 02072

For Immediate Release

Friday, Oct. 6, 2017

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

Stoughton Schools Respond after Student Draws Swastika on Computer

STOUGHTON — Superintendent Marguerite Rizzi reports that the Stoughton Public Schools took immediate action Friday after it was reported that a student drew a swastika on a computer.

On Friday morning, during a class group assignment where students were assigned to make up designs for flags, one student drew a swastika.

Another student, working in the same group, noticed what was happening and told the student to stop. The student then deleted the image. The teacher immediately notified school administration.

The student will be disciplined and corrective action will be taken in a manner that is consistent with the values and policies of the Stoughton Public Schools.

Juliette Miller, the high school principal, praised the other student involved, who immediately took action upon noticing the hateful image.

“The correction provided by the student’s peer and the swift actions of the teacher and administration demonstrate the ideals we value as a community,” Miller said. “Offensive hateful images and words will not be tolerated in our community.”

The name of the student, a sophomore, cannot be released due to federal privacy laws.

The Stoughton Public Schools have a strong partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, and have been drawing upon the organization’s invaluable resources in the wake of two other incidents involving swastikas during the prior academic year.

On Sept. 25, 28, and 29, the ADL was at Stoughton High School training 24 upperclassmen as Peer Ambassadors for the ADL’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute. The training included a focus on understanding symbols of hate. The students will now become peer leaders and meet with all freshmen at Stoughton High School.

This program will soon be extended to include middle school students as well. Additionally, all faculty are receiving professional development training from the ADL this year.

Superintendent Rizzi spoke with a representative of the ADL today who reviewed and provided guidance on the school’s reaction to the situation.

“The ADL is a tremendous partner to the Stoughton Public Schools, and we are extremely grateful for the training, guidance and resources they have provided us over the past year,” Superintendent Rizzi said.

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October 6, 2017

MHS Briefly Placed on Lockdown Following Threat

Jessica Sacco ⋅ Client News, Police News ⋅ high school, Melrose, MHS, Shelter in place, threat ⋅ 0 Comments

Melrose Public Schools

For Immediate Release

Friday, Oct. 6, 2017

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

MHS Briefly Placed on Lockdown Following Threat

Student Detained Following Altercation with Police Where Officer was Injured

MELROSE — Superintendent Cyndy Taymore and Police Chief Michael L. Lyle report that Melrose High School was briefly placed on lockdown following a threat this morning. A student was then detained by police, injuring an officer in the process.

The sequence of events is as follows:

At approximately 9:30 a.m., administrators at Melrose High School were informed by a parent that a male student may have a gun in the building.
MHS immediately went into a lockdown and the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School went into a shelter in place. The Melrose Police Department was immediately notified.
The MHS School Resource Officer, along with school administrators, went to the classroom of the student in question and took him into custody, confiscating his backpack in the process.
Upon a search of the student, he had no weapons on his person or in his backpack.
When confronted, the student would not listen to the instructions of police and left the building. He was then detained by police outside MHS. During that altercation, a police officer was injured. The police officer was taken to Melrose Wakefield Hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life threatening.
The lock down and shelter in place were lifted at approximately 9:45 a.m. and classes resumed as normal.

Superintendent Taymore and Chief Lyle would like to stress that at no time was anyone in the schools or community in any danger and there was never a weapon in the building.

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October 5, 2017

Georgetown SRO Holds Coffee with a Cop Event with High School Students

Jessica Sacco ⋅ Client News, Police News ⋅ coffee with a cop, Georgetown, high school, police department, school resource officer, SRO ⋅ 0 Comments

Georgetown Police Department
Donald C. Cudmore, Chief of Police
47 Central Street
Georgetown, MA 01833

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017

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

Georgetown SRO Holds Coffee with a Cop Event with High School Students

Georgetown SRO Officer Henry Olshefsky, right, chats with seventh grade student Harrison Radzinski during Coffee with a Cop. (Courtesy Photo Georgetown Police Department)

As part of Coffee with a Cop, Officer Olshefsky, center, enjoyed a cup of joe with Jenna Nichols and Peter Backman. (Courtesy Photo Georgetown Police Department)

GEORGETOWN — Chief Donald C. Cudmore is pleased to announce that Georgetown Police School Resource Officer Henry Olshefsky met with high school students over a cup of joe yesterday as part of the department’s Coffee with a Cop event.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 6:45-7:45 a.m., Officer Olshefsky met with several dozen Georgetown High School students at Royal Brew Café, which opened this year in the school’s cafeteria.

Students and Officer Olshefsky kept the conversation light, chatting about classes and the start of the new school year. Officer Olshefsky also spent some time talking with seventh grade student Harrison Radzinski about how he’s doing navigating a new building.

This is the first time the Georgetown Police Department has participated in Coffee with a Cop, a national event that brings police officers together with community members in a relaxed setting to talk about matters that are of interest to them.

“As the schools’ new SRO, we thought that giving Officer Olshefsky another opportunity to get to know students would be a perfect way to partake in Coffee with a Cop,” Chief Cudmore said. “And with the high school’s newly opened cafe, it provided the perfect space for students and Officer Olshefsky to chat before classes began for the day.”

About Coffee with a Cop:

Coffee with a Cop began in Hawthorne, California in 2011 as a result of police officers brainstorming ways to better interact with their community. They developed a simple plan to break down the barriers that have been built between police officers and citizens — have a cup of coffee, discuss what’s on your mind, ask questions and make suggestions that could better the community.

Since its creation, Coffee with a Cop events have been held in more than 2,000 communities in 49 states. It is regarded as one of the most successful community oriented policing programs in the United States.

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