Tuesday, November 30, 2010

SSPO 22nd academy

Congratulations to Officer Jesse Ritter and Officer Bruno Duarte who graduated this past June from the Special State Police Academy. Officer Duarte received two awards, one for Fitness and then the Troopers surprised him with the 110% award.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Meet Earl Brown

Outreach Officer, Department of Public Safety

Expect to see Earl Brown around campus. Brown was recently named community outreach officer for the Department of Public Safety, a position designed to work with the college community on crime prevention programming. Like all public safety personnel at the college, Brown will serve all three campuses—Smith, Mount Holyoke and Hampshire colleges—within the public safety collaborative.

He recently responded to questions for the Gate.

Gate: Where are you from? How long have you been a Public Safety Officer and what attracted you to the position?

Earl Brown: I live in Springfield and I have been employed with the Department of Public Safety for a little over two years. What brought me to the department is the opportunity to give something back to the community and, most importantly, to young adults. I always felt that police officers played an important role in a community, and it is important to work together with the community that we protect. This is what attracted me to working for the department. The opportunity to reach out to the students and increase their awareness, listen to their concerns and work with them toward a solution.

Gate: What is your role as outreach officer?

EB: My role is to bridge the gap in communication between the student body and the Public Safety department—to increase student awareness regarding safety and to work with students in keeping their college community a safe learning environment. I will be a positive resource to whom they may come with any issues or concerns.

Gate: What do you plan to do first as the outreach officer?

EB: The first thing I plan to do is have a “meet and greet” on the Smith campus. I would like the opportunity to meet the campus community and for them to meet me as well. I will work to put programs into place where officers will have even more of a chance for relationship building with the student body.

Please contact Brown if there are activities, meetings or events you would like him to join. The best way to reach him is by e-mail, ebrown3@smith.edu.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Public Safety
2009-2010

As of May 3, 2010

Awards Presented in the Spring of 2010

Community Awards (plaque awarded)
- MHC's president Joanne Creighton as she retires

- Doug Vanderpoel who was instrumental in setting up the technology to allow our central dispatch center to become a reality

- MHC's Dean of Students Liz Braun on her departure from MHC

Lifesaving Awards (framed citation & uniform ribbon)
- Officers Scott Pospolita, John Wagner, and Steaphan Mish (Northampton fire)

- Officer Megan Smith (medical emergency for student)

Recognition Award (framed citation)
- Frank Rogala, Jeff Wojcik & Josh Dufresne for locating and arresting a level 3 sex offender who was following students on the MHC campus

- MHC Human Resources office for all the work they did to help get employees benefits, on the payroll, and administratively added to the MHC payroll for the collaboration

- Central Dispatch staff for their efforts in making the central dispatch area successful

- Juan Rivera & Jesse Ritter for responding to an MHC student attempting suicide and likely thwarting her efforts

- Juan Rivera for assisting Belchertown PD in locating an MHC student who was possibly suicidal by contacting her cell provider to ping her cell phone to locate her in the woods

- Seth Irwin for responding to and dousing a fire in a residence hall at Hampshire

- Megan Smith for assisting a student who had taken 30 pills and was drifting out of consciousness by keeping her awake until an ambulance was able to respond