District Attorney Ryan Hosts Workplace Safety Program for Law Enforcement
LEXINGTON – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan hosted a workplace violence prevention training program Thursday for police chiefs, fire chiefs and other senior law enforcement personnel, focusing on the challenging dynamics of the workplace for first responders.
“The responsibility of law enforcement to address workplace safety is twofold,” District Attorney Ryan said. “As first responders, they are investigating workplace incidents that occur in their jurisdiction. As employers themselves, they need a heightened sensitivity to the signs of workplace violence in their own departments. Leadership staff has a duty to create an environment where policies, protocols and plans are in place to deescalate unacceptable behavior and effectively address workplace issues, such as stress, bullying, harassment, and outside conflicts. When our public safety personnel have a safe environment internally, they will be better equipped to respond to external workplace violence situations.”
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Workplace Safety Program was developed by District Attorney Ryan in response to escalating reports of workplace crisis incidents throughout the county and the nation. The MDAO Workplace Safety Program is a public/private partnership which provides training in best practices for intervention, prevention and response to unacceptable workplace behaviors, particularly bullying and violence. The training has been provided to various businesses and corporations. This was the first presentation specifically for law enforcement.
Along with District Attorney Ryan, a panel of experts in the field of workplace violence helped steer discussion and answer questions. The panelists were: Jean Haertl, President of Safety and Security at Work, LLC; Keith Jones, Director of Corporate Security at The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory; and Frank Rudewicz, Principal and Counsel of the Forensics Practice Group.
The audience included more than 30 law enforcement leaders from police and fire departments in the following communities: Acton, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Milford, Framingham, Holliston, Lexington, Littleton, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough, Melrose, Natick, North Reading, Reading, Tewksbury, and Wilmington. The program was held at One Cranberry Hill in Lexington.
“The Bedford Police Department is committed to eliminating violence in the workplace,” said Bedford Police Chief Robert Bongiorno, who attended the training. “I am proud to stand with District Attorney Marian Ryan in advocating for this extremely important issue. People have the right to feel safe, and they have the right to be free from harassment and violence in the workplace.”
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office serves the largest county in New England, covering 54 diverse cities and towns, spread across over 800 square miles. The county’s 1.5 million residents are diverse ethnically, racially, culturally and economically. Middlesex County has 23 hospitals, 54 police departments, and 26 colleges and universities, each one having their own security or police department.
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office draws upon the county’s rich and varied resources in education, scientific research, medical care, and law enforcement to identify, address and prevent potentially volatile situations in the workplace. The MDAOhas been a leader in prevention and intervention efforts in a wide range of arenas, including public, private and non-profit office environments.