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Brockton outlines security plan for Edison graduation; officials note school police staffing shortfall
Summary
School police detailed a multi‑layer security plan for Edison Academy's graduation and described current staffing levels and hiring timelines for school police positions; committee members praised officers' work and asked about coverage for private schools.
Officer Moseley, the district's school police liaison, outlined security measures for Edison Academy's graduation at the July 8 Brockton School Committee meeting and reviewed the school police staffing picture ahead of the 2025‑26 school year.
Moseley said the ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, with 220 graduates and an anticipated 3,000 attendees. "Metal detectors will be in place, access control... canines... Brockton police officers... 2 bicycle officers... the drone team will be there. We've contacted the FAA," Moseley said.
Moseley reviewed restrictions for attendees: no umbrellas, no bags larger than 12 by 12 by 12 inches, no portable chairs, no tripods, no fireworks or pyrotechnics, and only service animals allowed inside. He said the event will have a single pedestrian entry (the footbridge) and that once attendees exit during the ceremony they cannot re‑enter.
On staffing, Moseley said the district will have eight active school police officers and two supervisors coming into September, plus a trainee who is not expected to reach full duty until January. He described the hiring process timeline: a 6‑month academy followed by field training with the Brockton Police and school police, yielding an overall approximately 10‑month lead time from academy start to full deployment.
Moseley noted national staffing guidance of about one officer per 1,000 students and said Brockton's student count exceeds 16,000; by that metric the district would need roughly 16 officers. Committee members raised the effect of district obligations to private schools. "By statute, we're also required to protect the private schools," Moseley said, noting the city must account for private‑school students when considering staffing needs.
Committee member Miss Oliver thanked school police for their work and defended prior pay decisions that expanded school police staffing, saying officers' efforts make graduations and daily school life safer. Committee member Timothy J. Sullivan and others discussed absorption of functions into the city police, with Moseley noting absorption involves multiple unions and administrative complexities.
Moseley also reported that 20 applicants passed a physical aptitude test for school police positions and that the next steps are background and medical checks. He said the department expects to schedule academy seats potentially in September or later; exact academy timing was not confirmed at the meeting.
