Brookline Youth Resource Officer Recognized For Crisis Prevention Efforts

BROOKLINE, MA — A police officer was awarded a special commendation by county, state, and national organizations for her body of work in crisis intervention.

Officer Katie McCabe was presented with a 2025 Excellence in Crisis Intervention Commendation by Brookline Police Chief Jennifer Paster Wednesday. The Norfolk County Crisis Intervention Team Training and Technical Assistance Center, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, and National Alliance on Mental Illness jointly issued the citation.

McCabe first joined Brookline police in 2001, and has spent the last 20 years in the Community Service Division. She specializes in school safety, youth engagement, and community policing through her current role as youth resource officer and comfort dog handler. She and her four-legged partner, Bear, have been providing emotional support to the community for the last seven years. Paster said that her officer has never hesitated to respond to youth-related situations and always maintained positive relationships with them through follow-up meetings.

McCabe was the lead officer when comfort dogs and handlers were added to the Greater Boston CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) Team in 2023. In addition to the local youth, she and other comfort dogs and handlers have also since supported police and dispatch personnel in the wake of the deaths of multiple active duty officers and dispatchers as well as at memorial services and other similar events.

“Officer McCabe does an exemplary job in an area of police work that is often overlooked and seldom recognized,” Paster said. “She does so in a professional, compassionate and humble manner. She exemplifies the principles of CIT; recognition of mental health challenges, strong de-escalation skills, and dedicated community engagement.”

Brookline’s Crisis Intervention Team is a unit specially trained to respond to individuals with acute mental health needs. During its inception nearly a decade ago, 53 officers underwent 40 hours of training in order to be prepared for to take on the tasks the job entails.

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