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January's Meeting was held at the infamous China Moon in Stoneham. The guest speaker, Supt. Daniel Linskey
- Boston PD, spoke to the members about his current position in Boston and how he tackles the same issues that we face. While there may be more violence on the streets in Boston, the neighborhoods are concerned about the same issues everywhere
- speeding cars, bus stop safety, after-school activities for the youth, and general quality of life issues that we all hear from the citizens of our town.
Supt. Linskey discussed various programs implemented within the Boston ranks. One includes the Violence Intervention Program (VIP), which is currently involving four of Boston's neighborhoods. The program reaches out to at-risk kids and provides them with a safety-net, using BPD cadets, while trying to get to the after-school programs in the areas. This program allows for kids to attend the activities they take an interest in safely and not get side-tracked by the undesireable distractions on the streets.
Another noteworthy BPD program was the Safe Street Team. The Teams, made up of one Sergeant and up to ten Officers regularly walks a problem neighborhood of zone. The goal is to re-instate the neighborhood ties with the police department and establish a trusting relationship between both. Open discussion between the Supt. And MSOL members was had in coming up with ways for Officers on the beats to make contact and conversation with the neighbors, shop owners, and kids, without forcing the issue of talking to everyone. Members mentioned updating alarm/contact information with business owners, instituting projects during the training phases of officers to instill the ideas from the onset, and breaking up the
"police gang" a bit were some of the ideas that the Supt. took away.
The BPD also just held their first OUI Checkpoint with the MSP...
something to note about how different communities & organizations can work together to reach a common goal. The Supt. left the meeting with a sense of what the MSOL stands for and where the unity of the League comes from. Overall, it was a very positive meeting with a promising outlook at the relationship between the League and BPD
In other MSOL notes, the Citizen Safety Award candidates were discussed and it was decided that the 2007 Award will be given to Trieu Nguyen of Lowell for his bravery and clear mind during a home invasion in 2007. More information on the Award & Ceremony will follow as details are confirmed.
Also, as a reminder, FY 2008 Membership Forms are still due. Out of the 100 mailings that go out every month, only 55 have been returned thus far. Please make contact with your respective departments to find out the status. If you do not wish to be on the mailing list or have been transferred to another area of the department and can no longer be an Active Member of the MSOL, please let us know of whom in your department may be interested in and benefit from the MSOL. As a reminder, Membership dues cover you for the FY July 1
- June 30. Regardless of when you join, a new FY begins July 1 and the forms are due back in a timely manner. Thanks!
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