MARBLEHEAD — Marblehead Police have announced two staffing changes — a new school resource officer, Dan Gagnon, and a new addition to the force, Jake Morris.
Police Chief Robert Picariello said the last time there was a dedicated school resource officer at Marblehead High School was more than 10 years ago.
Officer Gagnon, a seven-year veteran of the Marblehead Police Department, has been appointed to the position. He started making the rounds to the town’s schools on Monday to meet staff and become acquainted with each school and their specific needs, police said.
Picariello said that the reintroduction of the school resource officer position and the appointment of Gagnon, which was announced at a recent Board of Selectmen meeting, is the result of a collaboration between the police department, the town and the school department.
“I’m looking forward to leveraging my past social work and current police experience to create a more supportive and secure environment for students,” Gagnon said in a statement.
“In general, our department is really community oriented, so I was already working with local school groups on safety programs and other initiatives,” Gagnon continued. “This is an opportunity to build on that, while addressing some of the immediate needs and challenges students face at Marblehead High — just like at other high schools across the state.”
During his time with Marblehead Police, Gagnon has worked as a patrolman, assisted on special North Shore interdepartmental teams, and acted as the department liaison for the Massachusetts Coalition of Police and local charity organizations, Picariello said.
Before joining the Marblehead force, Gagnon spent five years working as a caseworker for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, a role that uniquely qualifies him for the position, as he is no stranger to working with young people, police said.
Gagnon is a graduate of Danvers High School and holds a degree in criminal justice from South Central Louisiana University and a double masters degree in social work and applied physical chemistry from Pepperdine University.
“When we place officers into special assignments, we look at whether it is going to be a position of strength for the officer based on experience,” Picariello said in a statement. “In this case, the position is tailor-made for Dan. He has excelled working across different positions within our department, as well as at the state level, and that experience — combined with his commitment to the Marblehead community — absolutely makes him a valuable asset to the school system.”
Marblehead Public Schools recently tweeted “Please welcome our new school resource officer, Dan Gagnon. Thanks Marblehead Police and the community of Marblehead.”
Some of the responsibilities of the school resource officer position include working with school officials to help students develop a positive relationship with local law enforcement, and provide education and guidance around issues facing students, including drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and personal safety, Picariello said.
Gagnon’s presence in the school will also provide additional security for the students and faculty, placing a trained officer onsite to immediately respond to any threats or emergencies, Picariello said.
“In addition to providing security for students and staff, Dan will be a friendly and consistent point of contact in our schools,” police wrote on Facebook.
Morris hit the streets last week as the department’s newest police officer. For the past 5 ½ months, Morris had been attending the state’s regional police academy.
“Jake is a Marblehead boy at heart and is following in his dad’s footsteps in the law enforcement profession,” police wrote on Facebook. “We are looking forward to having Jake on board and wish him well for a long, prosperous and safe career.
“After being certified by the Commonwealth, Officer Morris will embark on the standard three months of field training under the guidance of more senior officers as he learns to merge what he learned in the academy with the real world,” police said.