MARION — Police Chief Richard B. Nighelli and Superintendent Michael S. Nelson are pleased to announce that Marion Police Officer Jonathan Tracy has been selected as the new Sippican Elementary School Resource Officer (SRO).
Officer Tracy will be present on the first day of school, Aug. 30, to help welcome back students.
“On behalf of our Sippican School community, I want to welcome Officer Jonathan Tracy as our new School Resource Officer,” said Sippican School Principal Marla Brown. “We look forward to seeing the connections he will build with our students, staff and families.”
As SRO, Officer Tracy will be responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment at school and during special events, counseling and guiding school administrators regarding school safety, building positive relationships, and providing students and staff with safety presentations and programs.
Officer Tracy has served the Marion Police Department since 2018. He has more than 20 years of experience as a full-time police officer, and a passion for community engagement and working with children.
As a resident and police officer in Marion, Officer Tracy has already built a strong relationship with the parents, staff and children at Sippican Elementary School by reading to students, utilizing the Marion Police Satellite Office, and volunteering as a youth softball coach.
“I would like to thank and congratulate Officer Tracy on his new role,” said Chief Nighelli. “Since his appointment to the Marion Police Department in 2018, Officer Tracy has displayed the highest qualities of the Marion Police Department. I am confident in his ability to serve as a positive role model to the students and will continue to foster a positive relationship with the Sippican Elementary School community.”
Officer Tracy has extensive training in community policing. He will attend additional SRO-specific training as it becomes available.
“We have been working to place a full-time School Resource Officer in the Sippican School, and I am pleased to see it come to fruition,” said Superintendent Nelson. “We are looking forward to working alongside SRO Tracy and continuing to build on our relationship with the police department to enhance school safety.”
Funding for a full-time SRO at the Sippican School was approved at this year’s Town Meeting.
Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55 would like to thank the Hiring Committee, which consisted of a teacher, a parent, and a Marion School Committee member, as well as members of school and district administration and the police department.
The Marion Police Department currently has multiple certified SROs working for the department, should Officer Tracy be out of the office for any reason.
Prior to working in Marion, Officer Tracy served the Lebanon, N.H. Police Department from 2003 to 2018, ascending to Senior Officer-Canine Handler. He was recognized as the Lebanon Police Officer of the Year, is a recipient of the Lebanon Police Department Life Saving Award, and was a member of the Drug/Narcotic Detection Canine Team of the Year. Officer Tracy also received the New Hampshire Congressional Law Enforcement Award for dedication and professionalism in 2016.
“I’d like to thank the town stakeholders for supporting the need for an SRO at Sippican Elementary School,” said Marion School Committee Chairperson April Nye. “It shows that our town officials and the citizens of Marion prioritize the safety of our children.”
Officer Tracy holds a Bachelor’s degree in geography and regional planning from Westfield State College.
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