Chief Terence M. Delehanty reports that Winthrop Police Department School Resource Officer DawneArmitstead has been selected to take part in an international training program hosted by the Rotary Club.
SRO Armitstead, three other Massachusetts SROs and a Rotarian Leader will travel to Kent, United Kingdom, in the southeast part of England, in May as part of a Rotary Club vocational training program.
The team will participate in training courses in a variety of topics with members of U.K. law enforcement and will be engaging in educational tactical hands-on training exercises.
The 15-day trip to Kent will take place from May 10-25. The trip and training program is fully funded by the Rotary Foundation Global Fund.
“Dawne does a great job in our schools and I am confident that after taking part in a training program like this, she will come back with even more skills and expertise to help her in her role,” Chief Delehanty said.
The three other local SROs participating in the program are Megan Tierney of Newburyport PD, Dan Perenick of Winchester PD and Paul Lucci of North Reading PD.
As part of the training exchange, the Massachusetts SROs will teach their British counterparts in several categories including:
Community-Based Justice
Mental Health First Aid
School Security
Vaping/Juul Education
Strategic Prevention Framework
The group will be trained in the following categories:
Substance Use Prevention
Substance Use Treatment and Intervention
Mental Health
School Safety
Threat Assessment
“This is a great opportunity to travel abroad and see how police in other parts of the world approach their job and training methods. Policing is policing but we all come from different cultures and backgrounds, so it’s exciting,” SROArmitstead said. “I am extremely thankful to have been selected to participate and I am very much looking forward to it.”
In the weeks and months prior to the trip, the SROs will be working together with their local Rotary Club representatives to make preparations and meet as a group.