By Stephen Pina
Candidate for Ward 1 School Committee | VotePina.com
When a fight breaks out in a school hallway and a teacher has to handle it alone…
When parents drop their kids off unsure who’s guarding the doors…
That’s not a school system.
That’s a failure of leadership. At the state level and the local.
And in Brockton, it’s been allowed to go on far too long.
“We’re severely understaffed… we’re not even close to where we need to be.”
— Lt. Paul Bonanca, Brockton School Police, The Enterprise, July 2025
Right now, only 11 school officers are responsible for protecting over 13,000 students across 13 campuses—including one of the largest high schools on the East Coast.
That’s not a safety strategy—it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.
The Champion City Safety Plan: Real Solutions. Not Panic.
If we’re going to bring back the City of Champions, then we’d better start by protecting our own.
Teachers can’t teach if they don’t feel safe.
Students can’t learn if they’re stuck in fear.
And parents deserve a school system that acts—not reacts.
That’s why Priority #11 of my Champion City Project is simple and non-negotiable:
We will restore safety and discipline inside every Brockton school. Period.
My 3-Part Plan to Rebuild School Safety in Brockton
1. Double the School Police Force (From 11 to 22 Officers)
We don’t need headlines. We need officers.
- Two-year hiring plan to get to 22 full-time, school-based officers.
- Fixed coverage at Brockton High; rotating posts elsewhere.
- Fast-track recruitment through Massasoit Police Academy.
- Require youth behavior, mental health, and school law training.
Cost: ~$1 million/year—less than 0.5% of the district’s budget.
If we can afford consultants, we sure can afford security.
2. Build a Public Safety Council—With Teeth
This council will operate like a safety command center—not a ceremonial committee.
Led by a School Committee member (I’ll fight to chair it), it will include:
- School Police leadership
- Budget officers & grant writers
- Legal counsel
- Parent and student representatives
Its duties:
- Track grants
- Audit safety budgets
- Manage officer training and tools
- Deliver a yearly Brockton School Safety Report to the public
3. Fund It With Strategy—Not Excuses
We don’t need higher taxes. We need smarter priorities.
Federal Sources
- COPS Hiring Program – covers up to 75% of officer salaries
- SVPP Grants – funds for gear, access control, and prevention systems
State Sources
- Apply for the Safe & Supportive Schools Grant (M.G.L. c. 69, § 1P)
- Pursue EOPSS’s Safer Schools Initiative
Local Budget
- Audit wasteful spending and reallocate to safety staffing
- Use unspent ESSER III funds to support student-safety initiatives
Private Foundations
- Tap into groups like Sandy Hook Promise, Secure Schools Alliance, and others that match local safety investments with grant dollars
We Don’t Need the National Guard—We Need a Backbone
Let’s not forget:
Last year, city leadership floated the idea of calling in the National Guard to deal with chaos at Brockton High.
That’s not leadership—that’s surrender.
We shouldn’t need the National Guard to protect our schools. We should be able to handle our own business. And we sure as hell shouldn’t be afraid of the kids.
This is our city. These are our schools. If we need outside troops to control our hallways, then we’ve already lost.
I’m running to change that.
Why I’ll Fight to Keep School Police Independent
Some leaders want to merge school police into the Brockton PD.
I’ll fight it every step of the way.
- School-based officers are trained for schools, not citywide patrols.
- Merging them would slow response times, dilute resources, and destroy accountability.
- We need a chain of command focused on kids, classrooms, and campuses—not just courtrooms.
This Is Not Over-Policing. This Is Common Sense.
This isn’t about criminalizing youth.
It’s about:
- Preventing fights before they escalate
- Making teachers feel safe in their classrooms
- Stopping threats before they turn into headlines
This isn’t politics. This is basic operational readiness.
You Can’t Win Without Defense
I served as a U.S. Army Ranger. I led at the federal level. And I’m a father of four in this school system.
I’ve seen what accountability looks like—and I’ve seen what it looks like when no one’s in charge.
We can’t call ourselves the City of Champions if we can’t even handle our own home team.
Elect me to the Ward 1 School Committee, and I’ll bring back the discipline, direction, and defense Brockton’s schools deserve.
https://votepina.com
[email protected]
Text: 508-638-8576
Socials: @VotePina
Vote Stephen Pina – Ward 1 School Committee | November 2025
0 Comments