More than 100 school administrators, educators and law enforcement officials gathered at Massachusetts State Police headquarters in Framingham the week of Oct. 30 for a daylong seminar on threats facing local schools.
The 9th annual School Safety and Security Seminar, hosted by the Commonwealth Fusion Center (CFC), covered cybersecurity, bomb threats, swatting hoaxes and what organizers called "the emerging threat of nihilistic violent extremism," according to a State Police news release.
The State Police did not identify which school districts or police departments sent representatives. The release described attendees as school administrators, educators, IT professionals and school resource officers.
Who presented
Experts from the State Police, the FBI Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) led the sessions.
Lt. Col. Christine Dorian, commander of the State Police Division of Homeland Security and Preparedness, addressed the group. Elly Smith, a manager in the Fusion Center's Intelligence Services Unit, spoke on the current threat environment. Det. Lt. Edward Keefe, commander of the Fusion Center's Criminal Information Section, presented on cybersecurity for schools.
Sgt. Meghann Benesh of the State Police Cyber Crime Unit brought K-9 Griffin, a dog trained to sniff out hidden digital devices and storage media. Griffin is used in investigations involving child sexual abuse material, human trafficking and cybercrime.
What officials said
Col. Geoffrey Noble, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, said the seminar reflects a push to get educators and law enforcement working together before a crisis hits.
"Keeping our schools safe requires vigilance, collaboration and a commitment to staying ahead of emerging threats," Noble said in the release.
State Police units that participated included the Anti-Terrorism Unit, the Watch Center Criminal Information Section, the Intelligence Services Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The Commonwealth Fusion Center is the state's primary intelligence and information-sharing hub. It connects local, state and federal agencies to identify threats and support criminal investigations.
Needham and Dedham residents who want to report a school safety concern can contact their local police department's non-emergency line or submit a tip through the Massachusetts State Police online tip form.
