“We are extremely fortunate not to have had any school shootings anywhere in Maine” said Police Chief Christopher Sanborn. Over the years, the Gorham Police have worked with the schools on crisis response plans, which include training with school staff. ALICE protocols, a crisis response training method has been adopted in Gorham as well as throughout Maine. There have been numerous local and regional trainings to prepare Public Safety officers for these types of events.
Lt. David Kulgren from Newtown, CT was among those who provided active shooter training to district officers. There are ongoing plans to continue to coordinate the public safety response as well as managing major crime responses to this type of incident.
We currently have three School Resource Officers. One S.R.O. is assigned to the High School, one S.R.O. is assigned to the Middle School and one S.R.O. is assigned to cover all three Elementary Schools. These officers are able to build connections with students and staff, and are focused on prevention. There have been incidents over the years that were averted by an SRO. It is important for residents to notify the Police Department about their concerns so those concerns can be investigated. All the schools are locked with access controlled by school staff.
In a recent interview with a member of the Gorham Times staff, Gorham Schools Superintendent Heather Perry said, “I want you to know that I am confident that our schools are safe as they can be right now. I also want you to know that none of us are taking for granted or minimizing the seriousness of these recent events and the need to deeply review our safety protocols. Please know that our current plan is being fully reviewed and prepared for a full update for the coming year. Safety remains at the forefront of our thoughts.”