Brockton District Court Probation Officers Maintain Presence
at Major Summer Fair

Featured in the photo, left to right, are Brockton District Court Probation Officer Delores Johnson, Acting Chief Probation Officer Michael Branch, and Probation Officers Michael Knight, Ronald Young, and Theresa Brown.

A group of Brockton District Court Probation Officers led by acting Chief Probation Officer Michael Branch maintained a presence at the annual Brockton Fair, which draws nearly 40,000 people over the week-long event. This was the first time Brockton Probation Officers represented the court at the fair.

Donning gear marked Probation, the Probation Officers—Delores Johnson, Theresa Brown, Ronald Young, and Michael Knight -- attracted stares and expressions of gratitude from people attending the fair. The Brockton Fair has been the site of several violent incidents over the years, including a recent stabbing, parking lot shooting, and alleged gang feud.

Mike Branch said “This was an introductory measure to enhance the partnership between the police and the courthouse and to earn respect by being a little more visible.”

Branch added, “People in Boston are used to seeing Probation Officers at community fairs and festivals. We are planning to do the same here.”

Brockton Police Chief William Conlon said he is “thrilled” about the partnership between probation and the police.

“It was very helpful to have them at the fair. The fair brings tens of thousands of people into town. With this many people, there is always a potential for unwanted individuals to come into town-- whether they are rival gang members, sex offenders, or people from the area looking to retaliate against each other. The Probation Officers are more intimately familiar with the offenders and can recognize them when they are passing by. It is extremely helpful to have Probation Officers assist us,” Chief Conlon said.

Probation Officer Delores Johnson said of the two nights she and fellow officers traversed the fair, “Although the fairgrounds were packed, people certainly noticed us right away. We stood out as figures of authority and the people appeared happy to see us.”

Probation Officer Ron Young added, “Just our presence alone seemed to make people more relaxed.”

The recent walk-through was orchestrated by Branch who organized similar community efforts in the Boston area where he was a former Assistant Chief Probation Officer at Boston Municipal Court-Dorchester.

Last year, he played a major role in organizing a group of Probation Officers who fanned out at Boston’s long-running Caribbean Carnival and the Pop Warner Football Jamboree. Past violence at the Caribbean Carnival and the shooting of a Pop Warner coach prompted law enforcement agencies to take safety precautions.