Crosman welcomed as new School Resource Officer
North Attleborough Police Officer Kristine Crosman will her 16 years of experience to a new position as School Resource Officer.
Crosman was chosen from a pool of candidates to be the SRO, a position within the police department. She’ll have an office at the high school and Superintendent Scott Holcomb said much of her work will include community policing, walking the schools, and meeting with administrators. He said that while at the Seekonk Schools, he built a great working relationship with the district’s SRO.
“SRO is a large umbrella,” said Holcomb at the Aug. 5 meeting of the School Committee. “We will work on this whole thing together.”
Crosman, who was born and raised in North Attleborough, said she looks forward to building a partnership between the school and police. She said her decision to apply for the position stemmed from a desire to do more in town and broaden her experience. In addition to going on patrols, Crosman has also handled community police assignments at different town events.
“I think it will be a great partnership,” she said.
Crosman took a week-long course with the National Association of School Resource Officers [NASRO] and is planning to take an advanced one. She said the position will focus on school safety but with an educational component. Some aspects to the role include assessments of school security, meeting with administrators, and handling cases related to the schools.
When asked by the committee how she would handle speaking to students about the dangers of vaping and e-cigarettes, Crosman said it was key to tell them how it was impacting the development of their minds.
“It’s not only the children, it’s the parents,” said Crosman. “We’ll be letting them know what we are teaching.”
Police Chief John Reilly said this appointment represents a year-long process for the department. He said the override funding approved last year allowed the department to increase its staffing, including the SRO position.
“It’s been a town effort, it’s not just the police department,” said Reilly. “We’re fulfilling a promise we made to the people who voted for the funding.”
