Lexington Police, Public Schools Extend Park, Walk and Lock Program to Schools

LEXINGTON, MA—The Lexington Police Department and Lexington Public Schools have expanded the Police Department's "Park, Lock and Walk" program to Lexington's public schools. 

Mark Corr, Lexington's Chief of Police, told Patch that the program entails a police officer checking in with various public schools in order to improve familiarity and relationships with schools and school faculty. Corr said that the goal is to improve the relationship between officers, school faculty and more importantly with students. 

"It only makes sense that if you have a number of residents located in one area, why not stop and take a moment to see the school and the facility," said Corr." It's fairly easy for an officer to stop. An officer can go by the school, check in with the principal, and learn who's who. 

Superintendent Mary Czajkowski's pleasurable experience with the "Adopt-a-School" initiative in Barnstable had led her to support the project. Corr added that officers would be stopping by schools when call volumes permit to check in, and to offer service to the schools. 

"It's important to build relationships and to see that they [police officers] are important to the community," Czajkowski told Patch. 

However, Corr stated that he has received negative feedback regarding the expansion of the program, although the negative feedback was not very common. He added that negative feedback he had received was largely from those who opposed the notion that a police officer should be coming onto campus. 

"We rarely find ourselves taking police action with regards to a child at schools," Corr added."Anything that comes up at that age is typically better-handled by the school's faculty and staff."

"We have firefighters come into the school to teach fire safety as a community helper," Czajkowski said."It's important that students see them [police officers] as somebody who can help them." 

Corr described his experience as a part of the Bridge school's first class of first graders, and said that he would welcome the opportunity to speak with students about his experience as a first grader at the Bridge. 

"Kids are adoring the opportunity to talk to an officer," Corr added."If we truly believe that police officer's are a community helper, we need to give students an opportunity to talk to them [officers] on their terms."

Do you support the expansion of the Park, Lock and Walk program? Let us know in the comments section.