Northern Essex Community College, following a security assessment completed last fall, is creating its own police department.
The college becomes the 13th community college in Massachusetts to have armed police officers on campus and will begin by hiring a captain to lead its hybrid force of police officers and security guards in both Haverhill and Lawrence.
“We are always monitoring industry standards and recognized that many community colleges are moving toward having their own campus police and knew it was time to review our own department and policies,” the college wrote in response to a WHAV inquiry.
College trustees recently voted “to approve arming the police officers that work for the Northern Essex Community College Public Safety Department.” The decision came after an assessment was completed by college’s Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police Deborah Crafts. She is a certified police officer who holds a master’s from Bentley University. She has more than 30 years in campus public safety.
Officers hired for the Northern Essex Police Department will undergo personal background checks and screenings as well as initial and annual firearms training.