Community Service Division

Community Service Officers

Community service officers are tasked with various community outreach programs in addition to the educational programs that take place in the Brookline Public School System. These programs are inclusive of but not limited to the following areas:

  • Landlord/Tennant dispute resolutions
  • Nuisance By-Law Investigations/Follow-ups
  • Brookline Council on Aging
  • Alzheimer's Alert/Bracelet Program
  • Brookline Mental Health Department
  • Homeless Person Follow-up
  • School Lockdown and Evacuation Drills

Problem-solving techniques utilized by these officers include mediation between parties in dispute, information and awareness meetings, intelligent allocation of available Town resources and follow-up investigations. Much of this work deals with special populations such as the elderly, homeless, and people in need of mental health resources. Other community programs these officers are an integral part of would include crime prevention and safety programs along with education in the schools. These officers serve under the command of Deputy Superintendent Paul Campbell.

Training Division

The Brookline Police Department Training Division is committed to providing its Officers with the best law enforcement training available — utilizing the most effective and efficient technologies, and up to date methodologies that are relevant and instructionally sound. We constantly strive to create an atmosphere that is conducive to the learning process, and represents the values and highest traditions of professionalism embraced by the Brookline Police Department.

The Brookline Police receive 48 hours of training annually. Training will involve courses that include topics such as Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Criminal Law updates, Domestic Violence, CPR and First Aid. With these and other trainings firmly in mind, we provide our Officers with the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully carry out department objectives, while embracing the Department's core values of integrity, respect, service, and fairness.

Media

The media plays an important role in a democracy. As a result, it is an area of major concern for us. Our department takes this responsibility very seriously, and understands the need to keep the citizens of Brookline informed. We see our responsibility to keep the public informed about issues that concern their safety, as well as other issues that contribute to the general welfare of our community. Soliciting the public for its help in solving crimes or identifying criminals is important for holding the perpetrators responsible for their crimes. Informing the public of their responsibility in crime prevention and deterrence is also necessary in the fight against crime.

Given the advancements in technology, people are more connected and informed today than ever before. Our Daily News Page/Blog (http://blog.brooklinepolice.com) is designed to keep people up to date with contemporary criminal activity and events. We utilize Facebook and Twitter to disseminate any events to the general public for their immediate perusal. Specific email groups have been created for particular neighborhoods and business districts to notify them of germane issues. The Brookline Police Department's use of the Information Highway is but another example of how we are maintaining pace with advances in technology.

Police & School Education Collaboration

The Brookline Police Department is involved in a collaborative effort with the Brookline School Department. This partnership has developed a series of courses designed to educate students in the following areas:

  • Internet Safety
  • Teen Dating Violence
  • Bullying
  • Substance Awareness

These programs are targeted toward middle school aged students, but also have a follow-up curriculum at the high school level. The main goal of these programs is to increase student awareness around these subjects. This is accomplished by educating the students regarding the social challenges they may face and ways to identify and safely navigate their way through those challenges.

These programs inform students of unacceptable social behaviors, there potential consequences, there affect on the victims, what crimes these behaviors may constitute, and strategies that students can use to avoid becoming victims. Ultimately, the programs hope is to prevent negative behaviors and decisions made by students, or if they are victims to empower them to protect themselves.

Another component of these programs is the use of peer leadership students from the high school. This brings students that have recently undergone the experiences that middle school students are facing and provides a closer age and experience connection to the students. It has proven to be a very effective tool in the education process.

Inviting an Officer to an Event

If you are interested in inviting an officer to an event, a classroom or neighborhood meeting, you can do so by contacting the Community Service Division. Requests can be emailed to csd@brooklinema.gov or over the phone at 617-730-2248. Please remember to include time and location and any information in regards to the event.