Justice and Safety in Groton

At the Feb. 19 meeting of the Groton Woman's Club, two well known men in town presented the program: Public Safety in Groton. 

Groton Chief of Police Donald Palma, Jr. spoke about the steps that the Police Dept. has taken to ensure the maximum safety possible for Groton residents.  He cited how smoothly the evacuation of students during the recent bomb threat at the Middle School was handled, as the police had made detailed preparation in advance if such a scenario should  occur.  

Mihran Keoseian,  a former selectman and Chairman of the

Council on Aging Future Planning and Feasibility Oversite Committees, spoke about  a program with which he is involved, Communities for Restorative Justice {C4RJ).   It is a community-police partnership that offers a restorative justice process that responds to crime in ways that heal, hold accountable, and put right.

Most cases  are referred to C4RJ instead of processing a young person or adult in court. It allows a victim to receive repair and an offender to be held accountable without a permanent mark on his or her criminal record.

For more info visit www.C4RJ.com and or on Facebook. There is opportunity to volunteer as a facilitator or become involved as the C4RJ works to build understanding, repair trust, and increase feelings of public safety.