How are school resource officers used? Are they an effective tool in our school system?

The School Resource Officer (SRO) is an effective assignment particularly given the emphasis on "resource." Consistent with the 2018 juvenile justice reform legislation passed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Police Department maintains a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Lexington Public Schools and the Minuteman Technical Vocational High School governing how an SRO will be used in the school.

We have, since the inception of the SRO program, avoided enforcement and most school attendance issues within the schools. The Police Department will continue to work with the School Department and the community to identify the best model for police officers working on school campuses.

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1. Does the Lexington Police Department have a protocol for addressing cases which involve run away teenagers or cases where child abuse may have been involved?
2. How does a police officer make a decision on whether a vehicle should be stopped to question the driver?
3. How are officers trained on making motor vehicle stops?
4. What methods do you have for formally documenting complaints?
5. How are calls for domestic disputes or drug/alcohol use/overdose handled?
6. What can’t we know, due to protecting privacy (as is appropriate)? How is that overseen?
7. How do Town Departments like the Police, Fire, and Human Services departments work together?
8. How often are firearms used by officers?
9. What are the Lexington Police Department's policies on use of lethal force and less than lethal force?
10. Policies are important - but how can you be confident that the policies are being respected?
11. Can you please explain how undercover police officers and vehicles are used in Lexington?
12. What weapons do police officers carry?
13. How are video cameras used in Lexington, such as body cameras or police cruiser dashboard cameras?
14. Is it possible that Lexington Police Officers could have body cameras in the future?
15. How are school resource officers used? Are they an effective tool in our school system?
16. Is there a quota system in place for the number of tickets officers must write?