As students have returned to classrooms this month, the Malverne Police Department is emphasizing its presence at schools throughout the village while continuing its year-round focus on school safety, emergency preparedness and community engagement.
The village considers the safety of children a top priority and has worked with the Police Department to provide school security at both public and private schools.
“Our children should always be our number one priority,” Mayor Timothy Sullivan said. “Malverne is a community where we look after one another.”
During the first week of school, officers were stationed outside school buildings on a rotating basis. They patrolled during student drop-off and pickup, and were visible inside schools, walking hallways, talking with administrators and teachers and becoming familiar with security procedures.
The department’s school safety efforts extend beyond the beginning of the academic year. Police offer emergency response training to faculty and administrators at public, private and parochial schools throughout the village. Officers also take part in lockdown and fire drills to better understand each building and work with staff on emergency procedures.
“We want to be prepared to know how to act, and we work in conjunction with the school, the school administration and the teachers,” Chief Tom Martini said. “We get involved very, very hands-on with the school in terms of making sure that there’s safety.”
A major component of the department’s preparedness efforts is active-shooter training. The department began conducting scenario-based training in 2024, in cooperation with the Nassau County Police Department’s Bureau of Special Operations. The training has included tactical entries, clearing of classrooms and hallways, and realistic emergency scenarios designed to prepare officers for the threat of an active shooter.
“The main priority in an active-shooter situation is going to be to stop the threat,” MPD’s Sgt. Joe Falanga said. “We left there pretty comfortable that, you know, God forbid this worst-case scenario happens, we’re ready and we’re prepared to act accordingly.”
The department conducted a training session with the Bureau of Special Operations in Malverne schools in February. Officers took part in classroom and hallway exercises before moving on to simulated scenarios designed to test their response.
The department plans to rotate training locations so officers become familiar with the layouts of different schools. Additional training is planned for the fall.
Officers also offer annual presentations to teachers and school staff. In these sessions, they explain how police would respond to an active-shooter emergency, and what school personnel should expect when officers enter a school building.
Police attend at least one emergency drill at every school during the year, giving officers and school personnel the chance to practice working together before there’s an actual emergency.
“It’s always important to know that the most vulnerable are safe,” Humberto Chavez, pastor of the Bridge Church, said. “We’re so very thankful to the Malverne village and to the police department.”
School safety also includes regular communication and relationship-building. Officers work closely with administrators and conduct walk-throughs of school buildings, often monthly, talking with administrators, visiting classrooms and interacting with students.
“The state requires many fire drills and active-shooter lockdown drills throughout the year,” Sgt. Anthony Castellano explained, “and we make sure we’re present for at least one in every school”
The MPD views the walkthroughs as part of community-oriented policing. Beyond security, regular interaction allows officers to learn about concerns in each school, and helps students become comfortable seeing police officers in a positive setting.
“Giving a student a high five when we’re walking down the hallway — it could go a long way for their relationship with police officers going forward,” Falanga said.
The effort is also intended to change the perception that a police vehicle outside a school necessarily signals an emergency. By maintaining a familiar presence, officers hope children will see them as trusted members of the community.
“Parents should feel safe that not only are the police department comfortable with walking into our buildings, but they know the layout of the building,” district Superintendent Maria Rianna said. “They really are a very strong partner for the school district.”
Police are also reminding motorists about back-to-school safety. Drivers are encouraged to obey traffic signals and crossing guards, exercise caution around school buses and watch for students walking near schools.
For village officials and police, school safety is a shared responsibility involving officers, administrators, educators, parents and the broader community. Officials encourage residents with relevant experience, resources or ideas to help identify additional ways to protect students.
