Suffolk County Probation Officers Bring
Community Policing To Area Festivals

Suffolk County Probation Officers will fan out at major community events such as Boston’s long-running Caribbean Carnival and the Pop Warner Football Jamboree which are scheduled to take place this weekend.

Past violence at the Caribbean Carnival and the shooting last fall of a Pop Warner coach have prompted law enforcement agencies to take safety precautions and show up in full force, according to Assistant Chief Probation Officer Mike Branch of the Boston Municipal Court-Dorchester Division.

“It’s all a part of community policing and probation. Our presence is essential,” said Branch. “We want to help make it safe so that everybody can enjoy themselves at these well attended, family-oriented events.”

The Caribbean Festival, which draws revelers from across the country and abroad, will take place Saturday, August 23rd. Branch said a larger crowd is expected this year due to the cancellations of at least two Caribbean Carnivals in major cities over the fear of violent outbreaks. A Caribbean Carnival in Hartford, Connecticut earlier this month was rocked by a shooting which killed one man and injured several others, including a child.

“Our partnership with Probation has been a great benefit to the City of Boston. Probation has played a big part in our public safety efforts,” said Boston Police Deputy Thomas Lee.

On Sunday, Probation Officers will maintain a full presence at the Pop Warner Football Jamboree at Madison Park High School in Boston, Branch said. He has assigned members of his staff to be present at the day-long event. Probation Officers from Suffolk Juvenile and the Dorchester, Roxbury, and West Roxbury divisions of the Boston Municipal Court will be present.

Probation has played an instrumental role in strategy meetings with the Boston Police Department which have been held over the summer to prepare for any violent or unlawful acts at community events such as the Jamboree and the Carnival.

Strategy meeting participants representing Probation have included Suffolk County Regional Supervisor Mark McHale; Suffolk County Superior Court Chief Probation Officer Sandy Stillwell; Boston Municipal Court (BMC)- West Roxbury Division Chief Probation Officer Mark Prisco; BMC-Dorchester Division Chief Probation Officer Anthony Gully; BMC-Dorchester Division First Assistant Chief Probation Officer Michael Branch; Suffolk County Juvenile Probation Officer Robert Herman; and BMC-Central Division Probation Officer Jon Izzo.