NEWBURYPORT — City Marshal Mark Murray reports that Newburyport Police Department’s School Resource Officer, Megan Tierney, has been selected to take part in an international training program hosted by the Rotary Club.
SRO Tierney, along with three other Massachusetts SROs and a Rotarian Leader will travel to Kent, United Kingdom, in the southeast part of England, in May as part of a Rotary Club vocational training program.
The team will participate in training courses in a variety of topics with members of U.K. law enforcement and will be engaging in educational tactical hands-on training exercises.
The 15-day trip to Kent will take place from May 10-25. The trip and training program is fully funded by the Rotary Foundation Global Fund.
“This is a well-deserved opportunity for Officer Tierney to share her expertise while developing new skills that will directly benefit kids in our community,” Marshal Murray said. “Her role in our department is an invaluable one, and I have no doubt she’ll make the absolute most out of her time abroad.”
The three other local SROs participating in the program are Officers Dawne Armitstead of Winthrop PD, Dan Perenick of Winchester PD and Paul Lucci of North Reading PD.
As part of the training exchange, the Massachusetts SROs will learn from, as well as share their own knowledge with their British counterparts in several categories including:
- Community-Based Justice
- Mental Health First Aid
- School Security
- Vaping/Juul Education
- Strategic Prevention Framework
The group will be trained in the following categories:
- Substance Use Prevention
- Substance Use Treatment and Intervention
- Mental Health
- School Safety
- Threat Assessment
“I am so grateful for this opportunity to share information with law enforcement from another country,” Officer Tierney said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to broaden our perspectives and enhance our knowledge by exchanging ideas with our fellow officers in the U.K.”
In the weeks and months leading up to the trip, the SROs will be working together with their local Rotary Club representatives to make preparations and meet as a group.
“I am very excited that Officer Tierney was chosen as one of the four candidates for this opportunity,” Newburyport Rotary President Dave Fowler said. “The position of School Resource Officer plays a critical role in the safety of our school system and, by virtue of their presence and mentoring, creates a very important relationship of trust between the students and law enforcement.”
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