Former police captain to serve as first security director for church, schools

SOMERVILLE – The Church of the Immaculate Conception has hired a former police captain as its first director of security to oversee safety and security measures for the parish and its two parochial schools, Immaculate Conception School and Immaculata High School.

Ret. Captain Rick Proctor, who recently concluded 24 years of service with law enforcement, will formally assume the newly established position on May 1.

“With school security and safety in houses of worship at the forefront of discussions in many households, workplaces, and other public spheres, it has long been a heavily-weighed consideration as to how [we] might strengthen our own security procedures, preparedness, and training,” Msgr. Joseph G. Celano, pastor and director of schools, wrote in a letter shared with school families on Friday.

“In the past few years, and especially in these past few months, our staff at all three sites has undergone rigorous safety and security training for those events we pray our community, or any community for that matter, will never see,” he continued, citing the staff’s regular participation in emergency response training. “So while I am confident that we have both reasonable and effective security protocols in place for the protection of our students, faculty, staff, and parishioners, I am even more confident now, given Mr. Proctor’s great wealth of knowledge and expertise in assisting schools and places of worship in establishing safety and security measures.”

Between his service in the Marine Corps Military Police and his time in the Summit Police Department, where he served as the operations division commander and the security liaison to the city’s businesses, houses of worship, and 12 private and public schools, Proctor has more than 27 collective years of experience in law enforcement. 

Among his duties and assignments with the Summit Police Department, he served as the active shooter training instructor and held a leadership position on the Union County Emergency Response Team (UCERT), in the area of civil disturbance response tactics. Having served as both the DARE/community services supervisor, and as the city’s juvenile detective, Proctor is highly experienced in adolescent and familial issues and mediation. Additionally, through his security firm, VIAT Consulting, he has conducted countless site security assessments for schools, businesses, and houses of worship, among them the Church of the Immaculate Conception and its two schools, and has led presentations at conferences around the country, including the Tri-State (NJ, NY, CT) Conference for Heads of School. Given his extensive experience in training more than 10,000 individuals, he is considered a leading expert in security.

“I think it goes without saying that we are fortunate to now officially count Mr. Proctor among the members of our staff,” Msgr. Celano wrote. “It is my hope that with the establishment of this position, and through the hiring of Mr. Proctor, our parish and our schools will be well-positioned to proactively and continually assess our security procedures and to lead the way in security best practices.”

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The Church of the Immaculate Conception, located in Somerville, New Jersey, is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Shepherded by Rev. Msgr. Joseph G. Celano, pastor, its more than 4,000 registered households seek to live the gospel as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, to proclaim the Good News of salvation, and to transform all things in Christ. For more information, visit: immaculateconception.org. 

Immaculate Conception School, a parochial grade school serving students in grades Pre-K through 8, helps to foster in each student a personal relationship with God. In partnership with students and their families, Immaculate Conception School is committed to developing the spiritual, academic and emotional dimensions of all students, enabling them to live responsibly and creatively in the world. For more information, visit: icsschool.org. 

Immaculata High School, a co-ed college preparatory high school founded in 1962, is committed to the development of the whole person within the framework of Catholic traditions and values. Guided by the pillars of Faith, Scholarship, Service, and Friendship, Immaculata integrates a challenging academic curriculum that promotes spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and social growth while fostering moral responsibility to self and others. For more information, visit: immaculatahighschool.org.