Weston director, police describe frequent coordination, SRO visibility and community outreach
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Summary
Weston’s safety director and the police captain described regular communication, community meet-and-greet sessions and active school resource officer presence during the April 8 committee meeting.
Weston safety and police officials told the Safety and Security Committee April 8 that coordination between the district and the police department is frequent and deliberately visible to students and the public.
Jim (Director of Safety and Security) described two recent “meet-the-director” sessions — an evening meeting at the middle school and a PTO session with about 42 parents — that he said were well received and allowed one-on-one follow-up. Jim told the committee that he has been meeting with the police commission and community members to “build upon the structure already in place.”
Captain Joe Miceli of the Weston Police Department said his office and Jim maintain an "open channel of communication," often talking multiple times per week and sometimes multiple times per day. Miceli said the partnership is collaborative: "We're constantly bouncing things off of one another... it's very open channel. We're we're both vested in moving in the right direction, as far as school security," he said.
Officials emphasized on-campus visibility as a deterrent and a community-building tool. Jim said the district has "three sworn police officers on campus five days a week" and seven security guards who handle day-to-day operations. Captain Miceli described how SROs and patrol officers regularly visit cafeterias, playgrounds and hallways for interactions with students, and that cruisers are parked where they can be seen near front entrances to allow for rapid response when necessary.
Deb Lowe, the acting superintendent, joined the meeting and said her early impressions reinforced the message that Weston is "well resourced" and that strong local partnerships — including the police relationship next door to the campus — make the district’s security posture effective. Committee members and police officials also discussed the role of SROs in supporting counselors and notifying school staff when students may need follow-up after an incident.
No formal policy changes were approved at the April 8 meeting; officials asked the committee to keep communication channels open and to continue routine coordination and training.
