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Chief's Message |
| Annual report of the Washington Police Department as printed in the 2007 Town Report- |
Annual Report of the Washington Police
Department
495-3294
police@washingtonnh.org www.washingtonnh.org/Police.html
2007 has been another year of growth and development for the members of your police department. It appears as I am writing, this a month and a half before the end of the year, that our calls for service, will be slightly behind last year’s, and while motor vehicle activity remains the same.
That does not mean we have been less busy. The type of calls we that have been handling have been more involved and increasingly complicated, requiring more time off the road tracking down information and documenting what was done. Fortunately we are still not seeing injurious and large loss type of crimes. People are driving safely for the most part and collision reports are equal to last year, and our children are very well behaved. Most often we are responding to traffic complaints about speed and unsafe operation.
We are getting many more fraud and financial loss reports. It is hard to determine if these events are occurring more regularly now, or because of information spread via my newsletter or public awareness campaigns, that people are more aware of it and reporting what they may have ignored in the past. These types of cases require a great deal of investigative time and report writing to provide a resolution.
Another area we are dealing with more often is neighbor disputes. For reasons I can’t explain, folks are calling the police to handle disagreements with their neighbors instead of talking it over with each other. We try to act as mediators and help the parties come to their own resolutions, but sometimes these situations turn in to long, protracted events.
Twice this year we have been called to respond to large underage drinking parties. Neither involved Washington residents, but are very time consuming. In once case 13 people were arrested on 16 charges. The documentation for that took days to complete.
I have tried my best to get the best efficiency of your tax dollars. I look for grants, free loaner equipment, training opportunities and other ways to obtain as much, for as little, as I can. Through the generosity of CanAm Recreational Products and Jim’s Marine in Newport we were loaned another ATV. The 2007 machine is used to patrol the ATV trails with funds provided by the NH Fish & Game Department. None of these grants are at any cost to the town, and in fact we make a bit of income from them. We also conduct rescues, cabin/camp checks and provide assistance to other agency for off road emergencies.
We applied for and were granted two NH Highway Safety Agency grants. These grants proved for 120 extra hours of patrol dedicated to radar enforcement and DWI apprehension.
I learned of, and applied for the UNH/Department of Safety Project 54 program, which puts technology in the cruiser that makes it safer and easier to use. All the electronic functions of the car (lights, siren, gun lock, radio controls, mapping, etc) are able to be voice controlled which allows us to drive and not have to take our eyes from the road or hands off the wheel. Eventually we will be able to communicate with the DMV to run license plates and driver license information. Also with the installation comes a new radar unit, and an entirely new lighting package. That was especially beneficial to us as we had lights that had been on two previous cruisers and were failing. They could not be repaired as they were so old, and had to be replaced so the entirely new package was a huge savings for us.
In February Tasers were introduced to the Washington Police Department equipment list. The purchase was made, and Ofc. Moser and I took the certification class, including getting Tased. The Washington officers who are employed full-time with the Hillsboro Police already carried them. Fortunately we have not had the need to use them.
A training component is an important part of our operation. We want to make sure we are doing our jobs safely and properly, as well be able to properly respond to calls we are requested at. A highlight of our training includes medical training, emergency management classes, firefighting skills, emergency vehicle operations, weapon systems, National Incident Management System, computer investigations and tactical operations. All the officers are qualified as Ice Rescue Technicians. We carry equipment to conduct ice and water rescues in the cruiser.
We take part in a number of inter-agency events. We participate as volunteers at the annual Special Olympics of NH Penguin Plunge in February at Hampton Beach (on the rescue team, not plungers!), members serve on the Sullivan County Alcohol Enforcement Task Force, and the Western NH Special Operations Unit (SWAT team). We are also very fortunate to have an outstanding relationship with our neighboring agencies, as well as those throughout the region. We occasionally call on them for help at dangerous or overwhelming incidents, or to calm a tense situation in Washington until the on-call officer can arrive.
The most important part of this operation is the people that are serving you. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our Administrative Assistant JJ Campbell, who was with us for two years and set up much of our database and reporting system. JJ be missed. After a host of qualified applicants applied, we were fortunate to get Michelle Dagesse to fill JJ’s chair. Many will recognize Michelle as the Secretary to just about every other board and commission in Town. Brian Moser has been with us for 9 years and is the go-to guy when I need a quick call out. Aaron Smith not only is still a police officer, he his often designated as the Officer in Charge when I am away, and is now a Washington homeowner. Derek Brown is also still on the roster and we congratulate he and his wife on the birth of their son. Tim Puchtler, full-time officer with the Sunapee Police Department, recently joined us to fill a vacancy. Tim will be working a shift a week, so look for him and say hello. Cindy Turner, our volunteer animal control officer, has been diligent in making sure that dogs are licensed and those that are lost are returned to owners as our volunteer animal control officer. If we had to travel to the shelter in Swanzey and pay the fees for recovered strays for each dog she found an owner for, our costs would be exponentially higher.
In spite of this roster, the Selectmen and I still get complaints that we are not providing enough coverage, not doing enough traffic and speed enforcement and people are disappointed in our response and resolution abilities. I am working on a plan for that and will report back at town meeting.
Our usual programs are still running. The Student of the Month lunch program with the school, the Chief’s E-Newsletter and the DARE program are strong and active. Our thanks go to the many community sponsors that have donated to the Student of the Month lunch.
Our thanks also go to the many departments and boards we work and cooperate with to do our job. While it seems that we interact in some way with every board/commission/department, I would like to especially recognize and thank Ed and the Crew at the Department of Public Works; the Washington Elementary Leadership Team and Staff; the Washington Fire & Rescue Department; and the Board of Selectmen. We are very lucky to have a government that runs as cooperatively as this one does.
The men and women of the Washington Police continue to thank you for your support and friendship. Please call on us to help you resolve whatever concerns you may have.
Respectfully, Steven I. Marshall Chief of Police