Schools
School Committee Discusses Greenwood School Security
In the past, the school has played host to many "undesirable activities," that reportedly occur after-hours in the summer months.
Neighbors of the Greenwood School have long complained that undesirable activities are commonplace outside of Greenwood during non-school hours, and with summer approaching, those issues are expected to move back to the forefront.
At best, these activities include late night basketball and unnecessarily noisy gatherings. At worst, these activities include alleged drug use and dumpster fires.
At their May 24th meeting, the Wakefield School Committee discussed the problem and possible solutions.
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“The bottom line is that the neighbors are looking forward to an uneventful summer,” said Tom Markham III, vice chairman of the School Committee. “And unfortunately in the past couple of summers, and even sometimes during the school year, there is a lot of unwanted activity after hours.”
Markham said that currently, the police don’t have the ability to deal with the issues surrounding the Greenwood grounds, because the existing signs aren’t properly posted. He recommended that the committee support whatever the police recommended to help secure the area, including additional signage, and possibly a security system if such a system were feasible.
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Committee member Chris Callanan, however, questioned the new sign’s ability to help alleviate the problem.
“I understand that without the signs, the police have a hard time enforcing things, I get that part,” Callanan said. “But I have to wonder how much effect signs will have.”
Possible solutions were floated and discussed, but no action was taken at the May 24 meeting. The discussion will continue over the course of the next month.
