Detective Luke Penney, a School Resource Officer (SRO) with the Acton Police Department of Youth and Family Services Division, is a certified ALICE instructor. ALICE is an active shooter preparedness program – the acronym stands for Alert, Lock-Down, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. Detectives with the SRO program have supported the district’s schools with ALICE training and drills, but have also conducted training for other Acton organizations and businesses – Detective Penney for 6 years, and, before him, Detective Keith Campbell.
In addition to schools, recent mass shootings in the U.S. have occurred in offices, hospitals, houses of worship, grocery stores, movie theaters, concert venues and nightclubs. The ALICE program helps staff and management develop tools and strategies they can use in an active shooter situation, and can also include an assessment of a building’s security along with recommendations to improve it.
Several Acton businesses have participated. Roche Brothers supermarket, Congregation Beth Elohim, the Discovery Museum, the Haartz Corporation, and the Infant/Toddler Children’s Center are just a handful that have taken advantage of this free 45-minute training.
According to KinderCare Center Director Kate Boldebook, “Detective Penney’s ALICE presentation was beneficial for staff as well as a relief in knowing what to do in case of an armed intruder event.”
If you would like a visit with one of Acton’s officers to train your staff in ALICE, please e-mail psfpoliceyouthservices@actonma.gov.
