Police Commission

LACONIA POLICE COMMISSION NOVEMBER 19, 2015, MINUTES CONFERENCE ROOM #200A, LACONIA CITY HALL 45 BEACON STREET EAST, LACONIA, NH – 3:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER – Commissioner Armand E. Maheux called the Meeting to Order SALUTE TO THE FLAG – Commissioner Maheux led the Pledge of Allegiance RECORDING SECRETARY – Deborah M. Simkins, Administrative Assistant Nomination for Commission Chairman and Clerk – Commissioner Maheux entertained a Motion to elect Commissioner Douglas A. Whittum as Chairman, seconded by Commissioner Thomas K. Tarr, and passed unanimously. Chairman Whittum entertained a Motion to elect Commissioner Maheux as Clerk, seconded by Commissioner Tarr, and passed unanimously. ROLL CALL – Chairman Douglas A. Whittum, Clerk Armand E. Maheux, and Commissioner Thomas K. Tarr CHAIRMAN WHITTUM RECOGNIZES STAFF PRESENT – Chief Christopher A. Adams, Captain William F. Clary, Captain Matthew J. Canfield, Lieutenant Richard E. Simmons, Lieutenant Allan L. Graton, and Prosecutor James A. Sawyer Chairman Whittum stated there are three (3) members of the Commission present and a quorum is established I. Personnel Matters A. Commendations & Awards – Chief Adams introduced former Chairman Warren Clement and advised he was a Police Commissioner for sixteen years. The Chief expressed a thank you to Warren for all the work he has done and presented him with a plaque on behalf of the men and women of the Laconia Police Department and the citizens of Laconia. Warren advised he has worked with four Chiefs, it has been a very positive experience and the Laconia Police Department is by far an excellent Department within the State of New Hampshire. Chairman Whittum advised that Warren’s dedication to the community has always been positive and thanked him for his service. B. Training – Lieutenant Graton advised the Department will be sponsoring a verbal judo class on February 23, 2016, at the Laconia Library, Captain Canfield will be attending the New England Seminar in Connecticut in March which is geared to smaller Departments and focusing on management issues and major relations. Commissioner Maheux inquired if we will be receiving any financial assistance in the form of a grant for this training and was advised no. Laconia Police Commission November 19, 2015, Minutes Page 2 C. Miscellaneous i. Laconia Links – Chief Adams advised we were awarded the Tom Fox Scholarship at the New Futures Annual Meeting which signifies professional development and leadership training opportunities for prevention of drug and alcohol problems. The Chief advised the Department was recognized for assisting in delivering pumpkins in conjunction with Project Extra and in preparation for Pumpkinfest. Chief Adams noted an article outlining some Halloween Safety Tips and a couple of photo ops with some “suspicious” persons. The Chief advised Officers participated in the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament at Funspot. Chief Adams also welcomed Commissioner Tarr and a photo opportunity from the swearing-in ceremony. D. Resignations/Retirement i. Captain William F. Clary. Chief Adams advised Captain Clary has been with the Department for twenty-seven years and was actually his Field Training Officer. The Chief advised Captain Clary has worked in many different positions within the Department and will be utilizing his training as the new Instructor for the Criminal Justice Program at the Huot Technical Center. Chief Adams personally thanked the Captain for his service to the Department and the citizens of the community and accepted his letter of retirement with regret. Chairman Whittum advised the Captain’s impact with the Department will expand into the program at the Tech School and he will get as much out of them as they will out of him; what a wonderful experience and a wonderful career. ii. Officer Joseph M. Tucker. Chief Adams advised Officer Tucker has only been the Department for a couple of years, but has elected to take a position with the Manchester Police Department. The Chief thanked Joe for his service to the Department and wished him well on his new endeavor. iii. Officer Michael S. Armstrong. Chief Adams advised that Officer Armstrong was with the Department for five years, but has decided to leave the Law Enforcement field to work in the private sector. The Chief advised Mike and Titan, the Department’s K-9, will be missed, and wished him success in his new career. E. Hirings – Lieutenant Graton advised we are in the process of recruit hiring. The Laconia Police Commission November 19, 2015, Minutes Page 3 Lieutenant advised he had called 232 potential candidates from the Great Bay Test List and 29 had arrived on the test day with 24 passing the physical. Lieutenant Graton advised Oral Interviews were done last week and the Chief will interview the top ten or twelve next week; and from there, the top seven or eight will be chosen for background investigations. Commissioner Tarr inquired of the average time from the posting of a position until someone is on the force in a field training position as well as the time spent at the Police Academy. Lieutenant Graton advised it takes approximately three to four months and the Academy runs three classes a year as it has been extended to a 16-week session. F. Promotions/Reorganization – Chief Adams advised in anticipation of the retirement of Captain Clary, five Officers took the Oral Boards for Sergeant today. The Chief advised he will be making a decision tomorrow and is excited to go through this process as it gives others an opportunity for career advancement. II. Division Commander’s Forum A. Support Division. Captain Clary advised we recently acquired four surveillance cameras and they will be up and running very soon. Captain Clary advised we will be starting the budget process and noted there are not a lot of changes to the budget from last year. Commissioner Maheux inquired if the surveillance cameras will be running twenty-four hours a day and was advised yes. Captain Clary advised they will be received at the Station, but we don’t have someone watching it constantly. B. Operations Division. Captain Canfield advised Pumpkinfest went very well from an operations standpoint, there were no issues with the traffic plan, and the event was well managed. Captain Canfield advised the Annual Christmas Parade is scheduled for November 29, 2015, at 4:00 p.m. and we are preparing for that. C. Legal Division. Prosecutor Sawyer advised timing is becoming more and more important with the Court process; first with DWI offenses having to be arraigned within ten days of an arrest and within the last two weeks, Judge Kelly has issued an Order indicating all Domestic Violence arrests are to be arraigned on the first scheduled court session following the arrest. Prosecutor Sawyer advised this will require a shortened period of time to prepare all of the necessary paperwork for trials and we have had three or four recently arraigned on the following day. Commissioner Tarr inquired if we are not able to bring the person in within the time frame set, could this jeopardize the case. Prosecutor Sawyer advised the defendant can still be held accountable. III. Orders and Bulletins. Lieutenant Graton advised Robin Moyer attended our Records Laconia Police Commission November 19, 2015, Minutes Page 4 Management System School, Officer Schilling went to DWI Preparation and Court Room Testimony training, Officer Denutte attended the LIDAR Operator Class (Light Distancing and Receiving) which is basically a laser beam and a Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Refresher Course, Captain Canfield and Detective Butler attended a Firearms Instructor Recertification Class, Captain Clary attended a Municipal Conference, Dispatcher Dilorenzo and Dispatcher Brunelle will be attending TAC (Terminal Access Coordinator) Training, Officer Carlson attended a Motor Vehicle Seminar regarding Accident Reconstruction and DWI investigations, Lieutenant Simmons will be attending SPOTS (State Police On-Line Telecommunications System) Training, and Lieutenant Graton to attend a Professional Leadership Academy. IV. Commission Action A. Acceptance of October 15, 2015, Minutes. The Minutes stand as accepted. B. Approval of Notice of Holidays – Chairman Whittum entertained a Motion to approve the Notice of Holidays 2016, moved by Commissioner Maheux, seconded by Commissioner Tarr, and passed unanimously. Commissioner Maheux entertained a motion to approve the out-of-State School request for Captain Canfield, seconded by Commissioner Tarr, and passed unanimously. V. Review of Monthly Activity Reports A. Department Monthly Highlights. Chief Adams advised last month we had two suicides and eleven suicidal subjects, but the Holiday Season does bring an increase in depression, drinking and drug use. B. Monthly Fleet Report. Commissioner Maheux inquired if all of our vehicles are in and roadworthy and was advised the van is being updated and lettered and should be on the road in approximately two more weeks. Commissioner Tarr inquired if the fleet is on a replacement program and was advised it is on a five- year replacement cycle with seven front line cars which last approximately three to four years. C. Criminal Investigative Unit Statistics. Captain Clary advised the numbers are continuously going up and the Detective Unit is extremely busy. D. Monthly Patrol Division Statistics. Chief Adams advised we are below in most categories, with the only exception being Crimes Against Society due to an increase in drug offenses. Chief Adams advised it is good to see a reduction in Laconia Police Commission November 19, 2015, Minutes Page 5 crime statistics. E. Budget Print-Out. Captain Clary advised everything is on schedule and we do have a little fluctuation in regular salaries. Commissioner Tarr inquired if we have the ability to move the money within the line items. Captain Clary advised we can shift money around as we see fit without getting permission from the City Manager. Commissioner Tarr inquired about the Overtime Budget and was advised this is to cover Holidays, special events, Court, and very little is for patrol coverage. Captain Clary advised 40 percent of it is for Court alone. Chairman Whittum advised the loss of four employees will also have an affect our Budget. Commissioner Tarr inquired about the number of employees and if we are managing any Grant positions. Chief Adams advised we have no grant positions and further explained the Highway Safety Grants we currently receive benefits from. F. Monthly Traffic Statistics. Chief Adams advised the number of accidents has significantly decreased. VI. Correspondence to and from the Department. Chief Adams advised we received a thank you from the Gilford Police Department, a letter was sent to Lakes Region Party and Gifts for the gift baskets they provided the Department for recent auctions we participated in, an e-mail was received from a resident on North Street expressing a thank you for Officer coverage during Halloween, a thank you from a woman in Alabama who has no real connection to us, a thank you along with a donation the Department received, a young man who did a job shadow sent a thank you to Sergeant Ashley, the Northeast POW Network for assistance provided, the Spelling Bee we sponsored, a ladies Church Group, a thank you for our response to a neighborhood dispute, and a thank you from a school. VII. Chief’s Report A. Performance Assessment Report Cards Chief Adams advised we received eighteen cards and they were all A’s this time. B. Pumpkin Festival. Chief Adams advised there were 20,000 to 30,000 people who attended Pumpkinfest, we had no calls for service directly related to the event and next year’s date for the event has been scheduled for October 22, 2016. Commissioner Maheux inquired how many additional Officers were scheduled to patrol the event and was advised four. Commissioner Tarr inquired how the number of people in attendance compared and Captain Canfield advised in speaking with the organizers, they said we had more people than Keene has ever seen. Chairman Whittum inquired about the Coffee Festival and the Chief advised that was also a very successful event and had very little impact on our Laconia Police Commission November 19, 2015, Minutes Page 6 resources. C. Motorcycle Week. Commissioner Maheux noted comments made in the newspaper regarding Police presence during the event. Chief Adams advised there was a public hearing and there were some great ideas discussed. Chief Adams advised he addressed those attending the meeting and indicated as the number of crowds have decreased, we have decreased our patrol, but we are still responsible for the safety of the visitors to our City. Chief Adams advised at times it does not look like there are a lot of Police, but there is a plan in place and State Police has been sending more resources to the outskirts of Laconia with the intention of reducing fatalities. Chief advised they are planning on follow-up meetings as well. D. Overdose Calls. Chief advised we are actually doing better with the number of overdoses of Heroin and Fentanyl, with nine fatalities this year and approximately 70-80 overdoses year to date. Chief Adams advised we are pleased with the recent couple of weeks and hopeful people are realizing how dangerous this is and getting in contact with Officer Adams who is connecting with the families. Commissioner Maheux inquired about the PET Program and the Chief advised Officer Adams is now seeing about 80 clients and their families. Commissioner Tarr inquired about the additional burden on the Crime Lab. Captain Clary advised if something is of vital importance, we make a request to bring it to the front and advised we are fortunate in this State to have one good crime lab that is Accredited and is at no cost to the City. Commissioner Tarr asked if there is a data base regarding the number of calls versus the total number of fatalities. Chief Adams advised there is such a data base for the State. Commissioner Tarr inquired how we stand in comparison to other Departments and the Chief advised we are higher as compared to other communities which can be attributed to the dynamics of the City. E. DARE Graduation. Chief Adams advised the Elm Street School and Woodland Heights School had their graduations on Tuesday and Pleasant Street will be tomorrow. Chief Adams recognized Officer Cardinal and the amazing job she does. F. Coffee With a Cop – December 8, 2015, @ 10:00 a.m., Dunkin Donuts on Union Avenue. Chief Adams advised we have had pretty good attendance at most of these with the exception of one and is looking forward to another meet and greet. VIII. Old Business – No Discussion IX. New Business. Commissioner Maheux inquired about the possibility of attending Laconia Police Commission November 19, 2015, Minutes Page 7 Commission Meetings from a remote location. Chief Adams stated he has spoken with City Manager Scott Myers who has advised there is a possibility of attending meetings from a remote location. Chairman Whittum entertained a motion to approve the attendance of meetings from a remote location, moved by Commissioner Maheux, seconded by Commissioner Tarr, and passed unanimously. X. Confirm Date of Next Regular or Special Meeting – December 17, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. XI. Other Business – Chief Adams advised we served the Thanksgiving Luncheon at the Woodland Heights School today which is always very well received. Chief Adams advised we also had the graduation for the Citizen Academy. Lieutenant Simmons advised there were only six in the class this year, but all of our Officers did a fine job and everyone seemed to enjoy the program. Commissioner Maheux noted a lot of the Officers donate their time for this class. Chairman Whittum inquired about how to possibly recruit more attendance. Lieutenant Simmons advised that the recruitment process is the worst part, but a suggestion was made to call people who have attended previous classes to see if they know someone who may want to attend. XII. Citizen Comments Gail Ober, Laconia Daily Sun, inquired about the total number of surveillance cameras the Department has and was advised one was purchased with Department money, we already had one, and four were purchased separately. Gail inquired how many openings we will have to fill and was advised five. Gail inquired about the K-9 Program and was advised we will not be continuing with the current K-9. Chief Adams advised he is strongly in favor of the K-9 Unit and hopefully will have another K-9 in the future. Chief Adams advised we will have to locate a dog as well as funding for the K-9 Unit. Captain Clary advised we are working with a couple of kennels to assess Titan to see if he can go to another Police Agency now. Jerry Fleishman, resident of Shore Drive, Laconia, is concerned about the security at the Middle School during election time, advised he just walked into the school, and suggests moving the voting location to the new fire house, perhaps utilizing the first classroom and the possibility of Police presence. He advised it was scary to just be able to walk into the school and nobody asking questions, and walking by the classrooms didn’t appear to be a safe environment for the children. Chief Adams advised in the past we have had Officers assigned to the voting stations at the schools and usually have a detail assigned to the school. Captain Clary advised we have little to say with regard to the polling stations, but one of the City Clerk’s goals is to prevent as much disturbance to the schools as possible and there will be Officers assigned to both of the schools in the future. Chairman Whittum advised the Middle School is secured daily, the only access is through the front door and anyone visiting needs to be buzzed in. Laconia Police Commission November 19, 2015, Minutes Page 8 Dennis Lintz, resident of Laconia, inquired if the two minute rule can be suspended and noted Gail spoke for 1:45 seconds, and Mr. Fleishman spoke for approximately 3:35 seconds. Commissioner Tarr advised he has looked at Minutes from numerous other Departments and his research indicates we are consistent with what other Departments do throughout the State for public input. Mr. Lintz inquired about Community Policing and inquired how many of our Officers are actually residents of Laconia. Mr. Lintz advised it would be better if Officers were actually residents of the City so they know what goes on in within their township. Chief Adams advised we don’t have a policy which indicates an Officer has to live within the City of Laconia, but we encourage our Officers to be involved with civic organizations and volunteer numerous hours as well. Chairman Whittum advised the amount of time our Officers spend volunteering is very impressive. Mr. Lintz stated he does not hate the Police and has worked with Law Enforcement Officers, and stated private investigators seek information elsewhere, but don’t rely on everything they say. XIII. Non-Public Session – No Discussion Meeting adjourned at 4:05 p.m.