Officer Michelle Manganello is a familiar face in Medfield. She grew up and attended school here graduating from Medfield High in 2001 and Framingham State University in 2005 and has been an officer of the Medfield Police Department since January 2005. At the start of the school year, Officer Manganello began her new position as Medfield’s school resource officer. SRO's are common in most area school districts and this is the first year since the early 2000s that Medfield has had an officer in the position.
In 2014, The Massachusetts Task Force Report on School Safety and Security highlighted the importance of having an SRO in Massachusetts' schools. Police Chief Robert Meaney was instrumental in advocating for the position and earmarking Police Department budget resources.
“The SRO serves a unique population of some 3,000 students and staff in Medfield. A critical component Officer Manganello provides is continuity. Previously, any of several officers would respond to issues which is fine and the job got done. A dedicated SRO provides the continuity of a familiar face as well as understanding how the schools handle specific situations,” explains Chief Meaney in describing Officer Manganello’s role.
"I have been working with the youth of Medfield for years in a part-time capacity and am thrilled to take on the role as the full time school resource officer. It really is something I have looked forward to for some time," said Manganello.
Superintendent of Schools Jeff Marsden echoed the sentiments.
“We are very pleased to welcome Officer Manganello to our team at the Medfield Public Schools. Officer Manganello's home base is MHS, but she is working in all of our schools. Her responsibilities include working with younger students with "stranger danger" and D.A.R.E. (drug abuse resistance education), as well as supporting families. Michelle will be a great resource for our older students as another adult point person and positive role model,” said Dr. Marsden.
Officer Manganello provides assistance with any issues that may arise by request of each building’s principal in coordination with Chief Meaney and Superintendent Marsden. School resource officers are trained for specific tasks related to well-being and safety in a student community, both on campus and off, and are not charged with managing disciplinary measures.
After completing both the basic and advanced SRO training programs,
Officer Manganello hit the ground running in September, working with the administration to improve the elementary bus routes. Since then, she has split her time among all five schools, but maintains an office at the high school. SRO training is an ongoing process and Michelle, as a member of the Mass Juvenile Police Officers Association (MJPOA), stays current through conferences and continuing education on changes in juvenile law, trends in drug and alcohol use, and social media.
Officer Manganello can be contacted at [email protected].
