A high school resource officer’s shooting incident resonated with the program’s benefits for children

A police officer listens to school board members discuss the school resource officer program on Tuesday. (Photo: Marc Levy)

The accidental discharge of a child protection officer’s gun in April is not prompting school committee members to consider removing police officers from schools, as was the case in neighboring Somerville, and a police official said the officers would not be unarmed.

A group of Cambridge Police Department officers — all people who grew up in the city and attended Cambridge public schools — reported to the school board Tuesday to explain the incident and the department’s school program.

“The incident was significant and unacceptable,” said David Murphy, chief operating officer of Cambridge Public Schools. “I don’t think the school board could ask for anything more than what we received from the police department (whose response was thorough, their response was substantive.”

Officer Frank Greenidge, who fired the gun in a single restroom at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. During a bathroom break, Greenidge violated protocol by removing his gun from its holster and attaching it to a hook, causing the gun to fire as he attempted to unhook it, police said. Greenidge immediately notified police and the school district. He remains on administrative leave.

The public is raising the idea of ​​removal

In public comment before the discussion, two Cambridge residents expressed disappointment with Cambridge’s response to the incident and advocated for the removal of police officers and guns from Cambridge public schools.

“It could have gone horribly wrong, and I was disappointed and frustrated with the way the district handled it and the desire to sweep things under the rug,” said Ellen Wong, mother of a high school student. “Police, policing and guns have no place in our schools.”

Wong suggested redirecting funding for civil servants to counselors and social workers instead. Wong, along with his mother, Luba Feigenberg, pointed to Somerville Public Schools as a model, as the district recently removed school resource officers from its campuses.

“Research overwhelmingly suggests that the use of police officers in schools has no positive impact on student safety and, in fact, may harm student safety,” Feigenberg said.

Decrease in juvenile arrests

A police memo said the incident prompted additional training for officers, who were nationally accredited before being placed in a school. There will also be more contact between officials and the school community, Murphy said.

Juvenile officers, funded by police and required by state law, work primarily to keep students out of the justice system whenever possible. Murphy said officers are not permitted to be involved in school disciplinary actions/

When there are potential criminal issues, it is crucial that youth workers are stationed in schools and build relationships with students and staff, said James Barrett, head of clinical support services for Cambridge Police. “If a juvenile has committed a delinquent or delinquent act – as a community we have the ability to divert that child,” Barrett said. This is part of an effort that has led to a reduction in arrests of Cambridge children by around 80 percent over the last 15 years.

While school board members recommended increased communication about the role of resource officers, several members praised police for the program.

“It’s really, really impressive how much you’ve nearly eliminated the juvenile arrest rate,” said member Rachel Weinstein.

“I think this is a model program,” said member Richard Harding. “It speaks volumes to have a community where, at times, Cambridge children are not arrested and sent to the juvenile justice system.”

Unarmed presence

Despite their support for the program, members Rachel Weinstein and member David Weinstein (no relation) asked Murphy and police for clarification about how Somerville was able to remove resource officers from schools. When Rachel Weinstein hoped to follow up on what Somerville had done in terms of diversion with regards to deposition, Mayor E. Denise Simmons, as chairwoman of the committee, treated it dismissively. “With all due respect, I’m not particularly interested in what Somerville is doing because I think we’re the model,” Simmons said.

Harding also asked Police Commissioner Christine Elow whether an officer could occupy schools unarmed or whether state law prohibits it.

It would be too dangerous for officers — whose uniforms make them potential targets for violence — to be without a weapon, she said. “An officer responding to the street without his firearm – what impact does that have?” Elow said. “Without guns we wouldn’t have officers in the schools, I guess that’s just the long story.”

The city is working on its own unarmed community safety department, now being rolled out after a delay, that will be tied more closely to the police department’s emergency dispatch system, and is considering whether there will be a role for a resident-organized alternative to the police Holistic Emergency Response Team. Police officials noted a school-related role for Heart and the department’s Community Assistance Response and Engagement team.

“Care and possibly heart could be additional resources for our school community,” Elow said, followed by Cabral: “Care and heart actually play a role.” But when it comes to diverting our young people from the juvenile justice system, the options are very limited “He said because only real police officers will be able to see a child at risk through a judicial diversion. “A member of Heart or Care will have no jurisdiction or authority to do such a thing.”

“Our YROs in particular see themselves as gatekeepers to the criminal justice system,” said Cambridge Police Superintendent Frederick Cabral.

Student support for the program

Student representatives on the school board expressed support for the program and called for more communication from the department to help students understand how it works.

“I have great confidence in this program and look forward to better understanding the work you do,” said student Jeanne Alailima. “I think it would just be very beneficial for the students if that was communicated to them.”

Alailima suggested holding a student panel with the youth speakers.

“People care deeply about the presence of police officers,” said student Naseem Anjaria. “And I think people really want to learn more.”