GREENFIELD — Amid recent community dialogues on whether to station school resource officers (SROs) in the district, Police Chief Todd Dodge said the School and Police departments have agreed upon a number of safety initiatives that are currently underway.

Dodge’s remarks came during a three-hour School Committee meeting on Wednesday during which dozens of residents shared their viewpoints on whether an SRO’s presence in the district would benefit students.

The police chief opened his remarks by joking that “he came in peace,” promising that although he is still in favor of stationing an SRO in the district, he wished only to thank Superintendent Karin Patenaude and Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Stephen Sullivan for their work with the Police Department brainstorming alternative safety measures.

“Communication between the Police Department and the School Department is probably as strong as it’s ever been. A lot of initiatives are underway, all thanks to the superintendent,” Dodge said. “Every initiative underway is keeping student and faculty safety in mind. … At this point in time, with the communication going on between us, the schools are probably as safe as can be right now.”

Although Dodge said he could not comment on the particular security improvements being made at Greenfield’s public schools, Patenaude said an increase in student behavioral problems after the pandemic prompted the district to pursue “restorative practices” training intended to rebuild conflict mitigation and emotional regulation skills at the schools.

Patenaude said the district recently hired a full-time counselor and registered behavior technician at Newton School.

“It has been the topic of conversation and much of the conversation around an SRO and what the schools could be doing. It is something that I’m committed to, though — we had tried to start it at the high school many years ago when I was the principal there … and then COVID hit,” Patenaude said. “The need for full-time adjustment counselors and registered behavior technicians is evident in our schools. Kids are traumatized. We’re still coping with the effects of COVID, we’re still coping with kids who need help in how to deal with their emotions and how to be in a school setting.”

In October, School Committee members voted 5-2 against a proposal from Mayor Ginny Desorgher to study the possibility of stationing an SRO in one of the district’s schools. The proposal was brought to the committee after the FBI came to Greenfield to investigate social media posts threatening violence against local schools. The SRO issue resurfaced after School Committee members voted against the position in 2020, not only because of budgetary concerns, but also a lack of support from students.

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Although the majority of those who spoke at the Oct. 7 meeting expressed support for stationing an SRO, the public comment portion of Wednesday’s meeting was overwhelmingly comprised of those against it.

“When teachers do not have the tools to discipline students for normal student-to-student or student-teacher infractions and there is an SRO on the premise, there is a tendency for teachers to ask the SRO to provide the discipline,” resident Mary Chicoine said. “That often leads to the beginning of the school-to-prison pipeline.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.