In 2001, the Lancaster City Bureau of Police implemented the T.E.A.M. (Teaching Educating and Mentoring) program with the assistance of the School District of Lancaster (SDoL). The district’s middle schools and high school are each assigned a School Resource Officer (SRO) from Lancaster City Police Bureau. All SROs receive T.E.A.M. training to teach the curriculum to students.
Officer Carrie Steele, T.E.A.M. Coordinator for the Lancaster City Bureau of Police, attended the T.E.A.M. Instructional Academy at the Michigan State Police Academy and is certified to instruct the curriculum.
Officers attending the academy receive special training to address students and K-12 educators on school violence, bullying, classroom management, unlawful risk-taking behavior, and safety issues. They receive 40 hours of training to help prepare them for a classroom environment. The training also provides the officers with over 30 lessons they can customize to best suit the community. Furthermore, they receive training in student and juvenile psychology, classroom management, bullying and harassment, and school safety issues.
T.E.A.M. courses are designed to be comprehensive and age-appropriate for each grade. The elementary curriculum focuses on safety tips, danger awareness, and what to do in the case of an emergency. The lessons provided to middle and high schools are more sophisticated and offer students a chance to have in-depth discussions about the nuances of the law, school violence prevention, the importance of personal safety, and more.
Teaching the T.E.A.M. curriculum in a classroom setting allows students to interact with law enforcement officers in an educator capacity and establishes a direct line of communication between officers and students.
T.E.A.M. is designed to facilitate a learning environment where students feel confident and comfortable confiding in officers when discussing concerns about their safety and the safety of others.
The Lancaster City Bureau of Police aims to continue building trusting relationships between students and officers through the implementation of this program.
Contact Crime Prevention Unit Sergeant
If you have any questions about T.E.A.M. and its curriculum, please contact the Crime Prevention Unit Sergeant, Sgt. Joel Thomas, by calling (717) 735-3369 or emailing [email protected].