"We're really proud of John," said President Tom Gerety. "[MACLEA] is a good organization to be active in."
MACLEA was founded nearly 25 years ago upon the creed of, "the common interest in the administration of law enforcement programs ... on college and university campuses," according to the College's press release. It is a non-profit organization which currently has about 80 active members from both public and private schools in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
"We work through the legislative departments to provide training and assist campus police to strive for professionalism," said Carter. A member for 13 years, Carter has served on the organization's executive board for the past two years. He plans to further many of the programs the organization is currently involved with, including sex offender registration. "We are currently working with the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board to make sure it is in compliance with the recent federal Sex Crimes Prevention Act, which requires that all past sex offenders attending or working at college campuses register with the Board."
Another program Carter has recently been involved with has focused on extending the curriculum for the state training program into a 17-week course. Carter hopes this will help better train campus officers to deal with issues specific to the college environment. "We try to assist officers by focusing on issues like diversity, mental wellness and overall service so that they may be better equipped to serve the college community," said Carter.
Many feel that Carter will offer a great connection between MACLEA and the College. "I have been here for 25 years and of all the chiefs, John is the most enthusiastic I have seen and has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time," said Assistant Chief of Police Ed Zaniewski.
Carter became Chief of Campus Police at the College in 1998. A resident of Ashby, MA, he has studied criminal justice at both the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and Fitchburg State College. Carter served as an officer for the Townsend Police Department and for the Brandeis University police force prior to joining the force at the College.