Superintendent and Police Chief Discuss School Safety Measures

By Adam Swift

In the wake of yet another school shooting in the nation, Police Chief Terence Delehanty and Superintendent of Schools Lisa Howard appeared before the Town Council Tuesday night to give an overview of safety procedures in school and town buildings.

“Because of the violence going on, I’ve gotten phone calls wanting updates on safety in our school facilities,” said Council President James Letterie. 

Letterie noted that both Delehanty and Howard work extremely hard to focus on safety in the schools and in town buildings.

Delehanty noted that school security has been a focus since he has been chief, and added that many of the security upgrades in town over the past decade are thanks to grants that former House Speaker Robert DeLeo helped secure.

Every August, Delehanty said a team of public safety and facilities staff go through all the school buildings in the district with a checklist for safety protocols.

“Every phone is checked, every camera is checked,” said Delehanty. “Detective Wayne Carter runs the camera system for the entire town, including assistance with the school security cameras. If a school camera goes down, that gets fixed the same day.”

Due to safety concerns, both Delehanty and Howard stated that they cannot reveal the location of every school security camera and safety procedure in place. 

The town is also a member of NEMLEC, the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, which Delehanty said provides almost immediate access to personnel and equipment in case of an emergency or threat in the schools or the town in general.

“One of the primary reasons for joining Nemlec was their Stars program, which gets activated on any type of threat to a school,” said the chief.

In addition to the response team, Delehanty and Howard both noted that there is a threat assessment team in place that is immediately notified if there is any hint of a threat against the school.

Howard said one of the keys to school safety is the cooperation between the schools, the public safety departments, and the entire town.

“Security and safety for our students, staff, and community is the number one priority for the Winthrop Public Schools,” said Howard.

The superintendent said the schools are working on safety initiatives and priorities every day. 

In the event of an emergency or crisis, Howard said all staff are trained in the ALICE school shooting program. In addition, many staff members have received CPR and Stop the Bleed training.

The district’s emergency plans are updated every year, Howard said, with updates and changes made during the school year if needed.

There is also a heavy emphasis on social emotional learning in the district, and all students from K-12 receive a social emotional check in each year. If there are any potential issues identified, Howard said the district can contact relevant state agencies to assist the families and students.

“We take security incredibly seriously in this town, and we understand there is only so much you can tell us,” said Letterie. He added that he feels comfortable with the dedication of Delehanty, Howard, and their staff in providing the measures needed to keep Winthrop’s students safe.