Tewksbury Adds Two to the N.E.M.L.E.C. S.T.A.R.S. Team

(Editor's note: The following information was submitted by Tewksbury Police Chief Timothy Sheehan.)

On Thursday, April 4, 2013, Tewksbury School Department Business Manager Jeff Sands and School Resource Officer Kathy McLeod were unanimously selected for membership on the prestigious N.E.M.L.E.C. (North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council) S.T.A.R.S. (School Threat Assessment and Response System) Team... 

Established in 1999, N.E.M.L.E.C. S.T.A.R.S. works with 51 member jurisdictions in enhancing school safety by:

•identifying threats and/or causes of violence in over 500 N.E.M.L.E.C. community schools,

 •developing solutions and strategies to address causes of violence,

•developing, implementing, practicing and evaluating safe school plans, and

•responding to calls for assistance during crises and critical incidents.

The membership of the S.T.A.R.S. Team is comprised of professionals from many disciplines. There are police officers, school officials, mental health professionals, and fire personnel who are experienced in Incident Command.  S.T.A.R.S. personnel assist in the identification and mitigation of high-risk situations and/or threats, and the implementation and practice of critical incident response procedures.  The S.T.A.R.S. Team brings with it N.E.M.L.E.C. resources. It has access to experts in specialized topic areas, such as handwriting analysis, that work with the S.T.A.R.S. Team, and it manages N.E.M.L.E.C. equipment (e.g. portable and hand held metal detectors) that can be utilized in emergencies by member agencies .

Business Manager Jeff Sands and School Resource Officer Kathy McLeod made voluntary application to the S.T.A.R.S. Team in early March as an expression of their sincere commitment to fostering school safety and security measures.  Both individuals are members of Tewksbury’s District Security Team and have dedicated countless hours toward enhancing school safety through collaboration.  Business Manger Sands came to the School Department in 2011 after 20 years of experience in the private sector.

Officer McLeod was appointed a Tewksbury Police Officer in 1996 and has worked as the Town’s first and only School Resource Officer since 2009. We are proud of their accomplishments and we congratulate them on their acceptance onto this invaluable Team.  Tewksbury is sure to benefit significantly from the training and experience that will come along with these appointments. Business Manager Sands and School Resource Officer McLeod have the full support of the Police Department Administration, School Department Administration, and the School Committee behind them.

Recent tragedies in the nation’s schools have all interested parties working tirelessly to improve school safety and critical incident response.