We’re pleased that the Town Council has supported the strong recommendation of Police Chief Terence Delehanty, Superintendent of Schools John Macero, and Town Manager Jim McKenna so that the Winthrop schools soon will have a Winthrop police officer working at the schools in the position of school resource officer.
The swift action on this proposal showed the teamwork that exists among our town administration, the Police Department, the School Department, and the Town Council, who ultimately decided that a school resource officer is vital to the maximum safety of our schools, our school administrators, students, and faculty.
A school should provide a safe environment for all its students. Having a police officer present at a school and developing a rapport with the students will help promote a safe environment. Bullying is a huge national issue today and we feel a school resource officer, with the support  of Chief Delehanty and the entire police department, will help institute consistent, anti-bullying efforts at the schools.
Winthrop has had a school resource officer in the past and it worked well, so we’re pleased that the idea has been resurrected.
Town Manager McKenna deserves plenty of commendation for so quickly bringing this issue before the Town Council so it could act on it in a timely manner.