Key Elements in a Community Policing Program

The essential elements of a good community policing program are leadership, community involvement, partnership, empowerment, problem-solving,  accountability and service orientation.

• Partnership - The police form partnerships with residents, the private sector and governmental officials.
• Leadership - Police executives will set the tone for the organization and will provide the appropriate leadership to ensure that each member is actively involved in community policing.
• Service Orientation - Police officers will emphasize providing services to the community and making the proper referrals for services the police do not provide.
• Empowerment - Patrol officers are given power and authority that have traditionally been reserved for supervisors and executives. Citizens are taught how to strengthen their ability to fight crime and disorder and become equal partners with the police.
• Problem-Solving - Police officers go beyond traditional styles of policing where police activity was primarily directed by calls for service and actively address the root causes of crime and public disorder.
• Community Involvement - Citizens are active participants in problem identification, analysis, and problem-solving.
• Accountability - The police and the community are responsible to each other for carrying out certain responsibilities.

DARE Program

The Medford Police Department offers a drug and violence resistance curriculum called the D.A.R.E. Program.  D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education.  The program offers a K-12 curriculum that is taught in both public and private schools in the City of Medford.  Grades five, eight and ten are taught a formal lesson plan where all other grades are taught on a random visitation basis. 

In 1990, Leo A. Sacco Jr. was appointed Chief of Police and immediately established the Community Services Unit.  Chief Sacco assigned Lt. DiChiara to oversee the CSU.  The CSU’s foremost mission would be that of crime prevention, media relations and youth/elder services.  A top priority was to implement an anti-drug and violence program for the youth of our city. After a great deal of research, Lt. DiChiara discovered that the D.A.R.E. Program curriculum was the most comprehensive drug and violence program available. 

During this time, Officer Jean Reid was selected to become the first Medford Police D.A.R.E. Officer.  Since the onset of the D.A.R.E. program, eight more officers have been trained and certified in teaching the D.A.R.E. curriculum.  The Medford Police Department is proud to be teaching D.A.R.E. in nearly every public and private school in the City of Medford.  Presently, there are three full-time officers and four part-time officers committed to teaching D.A.R.E. in all different grade levels.  This high level of dedication by the police department demonstrates the importance of educating our youth in the dangers of substance abuse and violence. 

The D.A.R.E. Curriculum

The DARE program consists of various topics such as: 

DARE Chevy Corvette

The Medford Police Department D.A.R.E Program proudly displays the 1988 D.A.R.E. Corvette which was confiscated from a drug dealer in Medford.  The vehicle sends an important message to the community in that, the corvette has won numerous awards locally and state-wide including kids’ choice award at the annual State D.A.R.E. Conference for its anti-drug message as well as its appearance.

DARE CPO Robot "Jo"

The Community Service Unit is also the home for CPO-JO the police robot.  Jo is a full size interactive robot that assists the department in teaching children and adults about important safety topics such as stranger awareness, traffic safety, and much more.  Jo also promotes familiarity and positive relationships between the police and the public.

School Resource Officers

The role of theses officers is one of both police officer and guidance counselor.  First and foremost, the SRO is a police officer whose beat is primarily a particular school or group of schools.  In the City of Medford, all public schools grades K-12 will maintain the presence of a SRO.  The SRO is there to act as a law enforcement resource to the school administration, staff and student body. He/she is there to foster a safe school environment where the population can feel safe and secure and focus on the school’s primary goal- education.  The SRO will be available to listen, advise and refer to proper agencies when called upon by either students or faculty with the main objective of bettering the school community. Telephone number for the MHS school resource officer is 781-395-0595, Officer William Fargo.

School resource officers wear the hats of many professions; a law enforcement officer to uphold and enforce the law and provide safe learning environment, a friend when one is needed, and a resource to help steer those in need of assistance, in the right direction.            

Monthly Community Meetings  Dates

The Medford Police Department conducts a monthly community meeting for citizens to participate in and voice their gripes, groans and cheers about our policing efforts.  All Medford citizens are encouraged to attend this open forum to discuss theirs concerns or ask questions regarding quality of life, disorder and crime issues that may affect their every day life.   These meetings are conducted by Lt. Paul Covino in conjunction with Chief Leo Sacco and other members of the police department.  Topics range from parking problems, speeding concerns, to barking dog complaints. No problem is too small to bring to the community meeting.   Monthly crime statistics for the city of Medford are posted and discussed along with other local crime trends.  Attendees will frequently receive crime prevention tips, watch informative videos, and enjoy light refreshments. 

Occasionally, these meetings are held at Tufts University and they will be announced ahead of time.

Held on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of each month at the Medford Police Academy.

RAD (Rape Aggression Defense)  

The Medford Police Department offers a women’s self defense program called RAD (Rape Aggression Defense).  The RAD approach to personal safety education embodies a practical blend of threat avoidance strategies and real world assault resistance tactics for women. 

The focus of the RAD course of instruction is on the development of easily mastered personal safety skills, which can be safely practiced within a comfortable learning environment such as home.  The overall goal of RAD is to reduce victimization through informed decision making and sensible action. RAD is not a traditional self defense course.  It fills a longstanding void by enabling women to learn in a period of several hours, a set of cognitive and physical skills which will be of benefit for years to come.

The choice to be made regarding resistance in any particular situation is a personal one.  RAD students find the manner of instruction to be supportive and the course as a whole, to be a very empowering experience.- Douglas F. Tuttle, Director of Public Safety, University of Delaware.

Currently, the Medford Police Department has nine certified RAD instructors, two which are also certified in RAD Kids.  The RAD program is available for women of all ages and physical ability.  Preference is given to women and girls that attend school reside or work in the City of Medford.  Programs are offered frequently throughout the year.  Please contact the CSU for further information.  

Media Relations

The CS Unit also is responsible for media relations. The department spokesperson is Lt. Paul Covino and all police matters/media requests go through him, including department press releases and statements to the press.  

Crime Prevention

The Community Services Unit has an active involvement with crime prevention programs in the city of Medford. An extensive list of resources is available on this WEB site and at the CSU office. Please feel free to contact Officer David Ciampi if you have questions pertaining to crime prevention. 

Eddie Eagle Program

The Eddie Eagle Gun Safe program was created by the NRA due to the alarming number of deaths and injuries related to children and firearms.  The program is taught in the classroom setting in grades pre-K through six by a uniformed police officer.  Currently in the City of Medford, Eddie Eagle is taught randomly through out the elementary schools. 

Statistics show that fatal firearm accidents have dropped 56% since 1988 and gun safety programs such as Eddie Eagle are considered a major reason for the decline.

The program teaches children that if they find a gun, they should: “STOP! Don’t touch! Leave the area. Tell an adult.”  A parent’s guide to gun safety is also an important component of the program that stresses the fundamental NRA rule of safe gun storage: “Store your guns so they are inaccessible to authorized users, especially children.”- National Rifle Association

Grant Administration & Procurement

Another task of the CSU is the administration and procurement of State, Federal & Private grants. The Medford Police Department has been fortunate to have received a number of grants over the years. These grants helped us to hire new community police officers and participate in youth violence task force initiatives along with a number of other services directed at kids, drugs, violence and gangs. 

Senior Citizen

The Community Service Unit proudly sponsors the annual Senior Citizen Holiday Party in conjunction with the Medford Police Department’s Union and the Medford Police Relief Association.  This event could not be the success that it is if it wasn’t for the great team that works its hardest every year to make the day enjoyable for all.  This includes The Medford Council on Aging, Marty’s Caterers, Grava Family and the men and women of the Medford Police Department.  Tickets are issued randomly by a raffle conducted by the Council on Aging to Medford Senior Citizens in the month of December. 

The CSU can also be a valuable resource for Seniors.  Please feel free to contact the Community Service Unit for any information on crime prevention, personal safety, frauds/scams and any other police related matters.    

 Kids Bike Rodeo Fun Competition

The bike rodeo has been a grand success for a number of years. CSU and other department officers have come together to run the annual bike competition. It is a great time for kids of all ages to learn about bike safety and to improve the riding skills. Announcements will be made on the WEB site and in the paper.

This year's information:
The 20th annual bike rodeo will be taking place on Saturday June 7th at 9:00am
(Rain date June 14th)
at City Hall parking lot.
BRING HELMET & BIKE, ALL MEDFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS ARE INVITED
Any questions - please contact Ptl. David Ciampi/Lt. Paul Covino

 

Kids Fingerprinting/Dental/DNA/Photos

From time to time, the CSU will sponsor with other businesses a "Kids Day for Identification". Parents can bring their children down to get fingerprinted, photographed, do dental impressions and some DNA collection. This data is for parents to take home and keep in a safe place. These key identifiers are needed for police to help trace/track a missing/exploited child. 

Home Child Fingerprinting Kits

The CSU has child fingerprint cards available to residents of the City of Medford upon written request or phone call to the community policing liaison. The CSU will mail the cards to your home. The CSU offers do-it-yourself fingerprinting cards that include ink so that you may fingerprint your child at home.

When you receive the card, you should remove the ink strip and practice printing your child on another piece of paper until you feel that your results are somewhat neat and clear with minimal smudges. Carefully fingerprint your child on the ID card and allow ink to dry. After you have completed the informational section of the card, attach a recent photo of your child. This photo should be updated frequently. Store your child’s card in safe and accessible place for your records only. You should not return ID card to the police department

 

Getting Involved in Police Community Affairs

Your participation in police community affairs is important to the success of any community policing program. Citizens can avail themselves of so many services and offers from our community service unit. You can attend the monthly community meetings, volunteer for community watch group activities, participate in other programs such as community surveys, community safety meetings, citizen's police academy, police station tours, crime prevention workshops and so much more.

PLEASE: Call CSU, come to the monthly meeting, talk to the police in your community.

FAQ’s    

·        How can I tell if my child is using drugs?

There are many signs and symptoms to look for. You can refer to the websites listed below to guide you in determining if your child may be using drugs.  However, you probably know your child better than anyone.  Change in behavior patterns, change in friends,

·        What do I do if I think my child is on drugs?

If you think your child is using drugs don’t wait any longer to act on your suspicion.  Contact your family pediatrician to discuss this vital concern.  They can offer the best advice and assist in referring you to the proper agencies to get immediate help for your child.   Doctor’s can also give you information on drug testing.  Don’t be ashamed or afraid to call your child’s doctor.  Their main concern is your child’s well being and getting them the help that they need.

·        Where can I get information regarding drugs and alcohol?

The CSU has many handouts, literature, books and videos full of information relative to drugs, alcohol and violence.  You may contact the CSU via phone or e-mail and information can be mailed to you or left for you to pick-up at the police station.  There are also website links listed below that contain a wealth of information about drugs, alcohol and violence.

·        How do I start a crime watch?

      Call us we will get you pointed in the right direction. We already have a number of community watch groups that we can hook you up with. Also, there are a number of publications in our Crime Prevention section, please take a look at them.

·        Can I get a home or business security check?

      There are check-off forms that we can give you to get you started. Please call the Crime Prevention officers to assist you further.

·        How can I schedule an appointment to have my child’s car safely installed?

      Just click here!

·        How can I schedule a tour of the police station?

If you are interested in arranging a tour of the police station, please contact the Community Service Unit and speak to the Community Policing Liaison, Rose Davis.  Tours can be scheduled virtually at any time during the week with ample notice.  Generally station tours are conducted for groups of any ages such as Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, schools, and any other youth or adult groups.

 Petrozavodsk, Russian & Medford, Massachusetts - Community Policing

In addition to the FBI and FDA initiatives, there has been at least one significant informal exchange program between U.S. and Russian law enforcement bodies. In May, a small delegation of American police officers traveled to St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk to study "community policing" methods used by Russian police. A reciprocal visit from Russian officers is planned for this fall. This exchange was organized by Project Harmony, a Vermont-based "cultural exchange and education organization" founded in 1985. The organization defines its mission as one of helping Americans and Russians "to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for participation in the international community."

Paul Mackowski, a police officer from Medford, Massachusetts, was among the Americans who participated in the police exchange program. According to the February 11th Boston Herald, Mackowski hopes "the Russian-American police exchange program he's coordinating won't be a one-way street -- he hopes American cops will learn from their counterparts in Petrozavodsk, north of Moscow." Mackowski told the Herald, "There's community policing and regional policing -- this is almost on a global level."

In a telephone interview with THE NEW AMERICAN, Mackowski sought to minimize the implications of the exchange program. "No matter where you go, police are the same. The police in Russia deal with the same problems we have; they find themselves called out of bed at one o'clock to deal with problems, just as we do. I was really impressed with their professionalism." But professionalism isn't the issue.

Quick Links

            Web Sites Devoted to Community Policing     

California Attorney General's C.O.P.P.S. Page 

communitypolicing.org

Community Policing Pages

Michigan State University, National Center for Community Policing

NCPC - Crime Prevention and Community Policing: A Vital Link

New England Community-Police Partnership

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice

Ontario Provincial Police, Community Policing Section

University of Nebraska - Omaha, Community Policing Research

            DARE info

                        www.dare.com

                        http://massdare.org

                        http://www.cooleteen.com

Eddie Eagle Program

                        http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/

            Crime Prevention

                        www.ncpc.org

                        www.mcgruff.org

            Drug info for parents

www.theantidrug.com

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

http://www.drugfreeamerica.org

www.dea.gov