A new service learning program between Monroe Community College and the Town of Brighton will roll out this afternoon at Brighton’s Brookside Recreation Center, when Brighton Town Supervisor Sandra Frankel, MCC Department of Criminal Justice Chair Gary Thompson, and Brighton Police Chief Thomas Voelkl visit with MCC students as they take aim at speeders.
Brighton WATCH (We All Together Can Help) is the newest service learning program at MCC and a joint venture between the College and the Brighton Police Department. The program, modeled after the federal government’s Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) program, provides college credit to students who perform needed community service in areas with large senior populations. This also frees up valuable law enforcement resources for patrolling and homeland security operations.
“This exciting new program, the first of its kind anywhere in this region, is the result of the cooperation and support of our top-notch police department and one of the finest community colleges in the nation,” said Brighton Town Supervisor Sandra Frankel.
The program, which was developed with the help of MCC criminal justice students, involves efforts to keep seniors safe, including foot and bicycle patrols of the canal path, crime prevention seminars, security patrols at MCC’s Brighton Campus, assistance with child safety seat inspections, neighborhood speed control and other joint ventures.
Through Brighton WATCH, students are gaining valuable hands-on policing experience, developing strong ties with Brighton’s senior population and giving back to the community while meeting their educational goals.
Much like the City of Rochester’s PAC-TAC program, Brighton WATCH participants are linked directly to the police via radios. Students are engaged in speed control activities on streets identified for their elderly populations. This operation involves teams of three or more students who use radar guns to identify speeding vehicles. The students then take down license plate numbers and the Brighton Police Department sends the registered vehicle owners a warning letter, identifying the date and time of the offense and asking them to control their speed when traveling through those areas.
“This program will benefit our community by allowing Brighton police officers to devote more time on the frontline of homeland security and will benefit MCC students by offering them an opportunity to gain valuable working experience through volunteerism,” said Frankel.
Cynthia Cooper
Public Affairs
10/17/2003 |