Police Commission

LACONIA POLICE COMMISSION DECEMBER 17, 2015, MINUTES CONFERENCE ROOM #200A, LACONIA CITY HALL 45 BEACON STREET EAST, LACONIA, NH – 3:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER – Chairman Whittum called the Meeting to Order SALUTE TO THE FLAG – Chairman Whittum led the Pledge of Allegiance RECORDING SECRETARY – Deborah M. Simkins, Administrative Assistant 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 – No Discussion B. Training – Lieutenant Graton advised we are currently conducting our Taser Recertification Training and Primex will be coming in for training as well. Lieutenant Graton advised he is working on the required paperwork for submission to the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council for end of year qualifications met. Commissioner Tar discussed fiscal constraints and the ability to get our Officers in to meet certification requirements. Lieutenant Graton advised for the basic in-service qualifications there should be no issues. C. Miscellaneous – Laconia Links. Chief Adams advised we were featured in an announcement regarding the Coffee with a Cop Program, followed by a photograph of those who attended the Coffee with a Cop at Dunkin Donuts, our involvement in serving the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner at the Woodland Heights School, and a photograph of those who assisted in the shopping expedition at Walmart in preparation for the delivery of gifts on Christmas Eve. D. Resignations/Retirement i. Sergeant Dennis L. Ashley – Chief Adams advised Sergeant Ashley has submitted his letter of intent to retire after twenty years of service with the City of Laconia Police Department. The Chief advised Dennis had served Laconia Police Commission Minutes – December 17, 2015 Page 2 in the United States Navy prior and had also retired from the Navy before joining us here. Chief Adams advised that Dennis is our Bicycle Instructor and is currently the Supervisor for the Detective Unit. The Chief advised there are only two Bicycle Instructors in the State, Dennis being one of them and his expertise in this field will be sorely missed. Commissioner Maheux inquired if there are any plans to train anyone to fill that position and the Chief advised we will be looking into it. ii. Dispatcher Marnell A. DiLorenzo – Chief Adams advised that Marnell has been with the Department for seventeen years and she too will be sorely missed, but wishes her well in her future endeavors. E. Hirings – Lieutenant Graton advised the Detective Unit is working on background investigations for several applicants and anticipates a start-up date of the middle of January or early February. Commissioner Maheux inquired if any of the applicants are full-time certified and was advised no. Chairman Whittum inquired if they will be offered a Conditional Offer of Employment and was advised this is a part of the hiring process and included in the background investigation. Lieutenant Graton advised there were twenty-four applicants who had passed the physical agility test portion and there are seven in the running at the present time, ranging from right out of school to those having a few more life experiences. Commissioner Tarr inquired how long a typical background investigation will take and was advised approximately thirty to forty hours depending on where the applicant is coming from, the size of their families, employment history, and so on. F. Promotions/Reorganization – Sergeant Kevin M. Butler and Sergeant Benjamin C. Black. Chief Adams advised that Kevin has been with the Department for sixteen years; a number of those being in the Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The Chief advised with the approval of the Commission, Kevin will assume the position of Supervisor of the Bureau. Chief Adams advised that Ben has been with the Department for fourteen years, is very well qualified for the position of Supervisor in the Patrol Division with the approval of the Commission. II. Division Commander’s Forum A. Support Division. Captain Clary advised the Detectives are working on the background investigations and have full caseloads apart from these assignments as well, but the backgrounds have been made a priority at this point. Commissioner Tarr inquired if most departments complete their own backgrounds. Captain Clary advised we have done our backgrounds in the past as we are a bigger agency and do have the manpower available, but smaller departments do not typically conduct their own. Commissioner Tarr inquired if it takes longer when the Laconia Police Commission Minutes – December 17, 2015 Page 3 applicant is from another jurisdiction. Captain Clary advised it does take longer as far as travel time and when they are older and have more experience, this makes the process longer as well. Chief Adams advised we have had to travel to speak with family members and references in other States. B. Operations Division. Captain Canfield advised Officer Michelle Cardinal is in the process of making the arrangements to teach the D.A.R.E. Program to the Middle School students beginning in January. Captain Canfield advised we have close to 150 individuals signed up for the Active Shooter Presentation apart from the business presentations that are being done within the City. The Captain advised we will be conducting walking patrols in the Downtown area and DWI Patrols as well during the Holiday Season. Chief Adams advised the walking patrols will consist of two Officers walking in the Downtown area to Busy Corner and checking businesses. The Chief advised this is in an attempt to deter crime by focusing on Officer visibility. Chairman Whittum inquired about the number of people expressing an interest in the Active Shooter Program and the need to move the presentation to a bigger facility. Captain Canfield advised there has been discussion with regard to moving the location to the Library based on availability. C. Legal Division. Prosecutor Sawyer wanted to express his sincere appreciation for the volunteers and the numbers of hours they donate to the Police Department and City of Laconia on a weekly basis for which he is very grateful. III. Orders and Bulletins – Lieutenant Graton advised Officer Babineau attended a class regarding Trauma in Police Work to deal with stresses on the job and things seen while on the job, Officer Shortt and Officer Cardinal attended a Field Training and Evaluation Course for the Field Training Officer formal training program, Lieutenant Simmons was to attend SPOTS Training, but the date has been changed to March 1, 2016. Chairman Whittum advised many times an Officer is recommended to attend a specific school, and other times Officers will specifically request attendance to a school. Lieutenant Graton advised a lot of the requests are self-initiated and the decision is made based on the availability of coverage on the schedule, the cost, and how it will best benefit the Department. Captain Clary advised we attempt to have as many in-house instructors as possible which saves us costs in the long run. Commissioner Maheux inquired about the defensive driving course and was advised we do this about every two years for all Officers. IV. Commission Action A. Acceptance of November 19, 2015, Minutes. Commissioner Tarr noted a typographical error in Paragraph B, denoting a date in 2015, to be changed to 2016. With the change noted, the Minutes are accepted. Laconia Police Commission Minutes – December 17, 2015 Page 4 Chairman Whittum entertained a motion to accept the budget as presented, moved by Commissioner Maheux, seconded by Commissioner Tarr, and passed unanimously. Chairman Whittum entertained a motion to accept the promotions of Detective Kevin M. Butler and Officer Benjamin C. Black to Detective/Sergeant Kevin M. Butler and Sergeant Benjamin C. Clark, as recommended by Chief Adams, moved by Commissioner Maheux, seconded by Commissioner Tarr, and passed unanimously. Chief Adams advised they will be sworn in at the next meeting. V. Review of Monthly Activity Reports A. Department Monthly Highlights. Chief Adams advised there were 23 calls in reference to domestic disturbances and the volunteers totaled 33 ¾ hours for the month of November. B. Monthly Fleet Report. Captain Clary advised he is hoping the new van will be on the road before his retirement. Captain Clary noted we had also put snow tires on vehicles which increased the service cost for the month. C. Criminal Investigative Unit Statistics. Captain Clary advised there is a rise in all the categories as compared to last year, but there will be a slight decline in reporting for next month due to the number of background investigations being done. Chairman Whittum inquired about the significant increase in the number of Juvenile Petitions being issued and was advised this may be a direct result of the change in the age of an adult from 17 to 18. D. Monthly Patrol Division Statistics. Chief Adams noted Crimes Against Persons is down, Crimes Against Property is up significantly, and the number of drug-related offenses shows an increase, and Group B crimes are down seven percent from the last year. E. Budget Print-Out. Captain Clary advised we are very happy with every category, but our contracted services will be jumping when we come into December as they are bi-annual and quarterly billings. Commissioner Tarr raised a concern with regard to the Training Budget Line Item. Chief Adams advised we have a pretty slim training budget and we are always very close or over on that line item. Captain Clary advised we also pay for our duty ammunition out of this category and have been able to utilize some training grants in the past to help with this budget line item. Commissioner Maheux inquired about the difference between duty and training ammunition and was advised training ammunition is a different grade and a little cheaper. Laconia Police Commission Minutes – December 17, 2015 Page 5 F. Monthly Traffic Statistics. Chief Adams advised there was a decrease in the number of motor vehicle accidents which could be a direct result of the weather we are experiencing; with 39 as compared to 45 last November. VI. Correspondence to and from the Department. Chief Adams advised there was a thank you to Lieutenant Simmons for a community watch group meeting that was set up, a thank you from an individual who went on a Ride Along with Sergeant Finogle and was very impressed with that process, a Boys and Girls Club thank you for our participation in reading the youngsters stories and having dinner with them, a thank you from Commissioner Maheux, a thank you from a family involved in an untimely death, Genesis Behavioral Health for our participation in their auction, and from the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) Group for Captain Canfield. VII. Chief’s Report A. Performance Assessment Report Cards – Chief Adams advised they were all A’s with one B. B. Coffee with a Cop – December 8, 2015, @ 10:00 a.m. at Dunkin Donuts. Chief Adams advised this event was very well attended. C. Annual LPD Christmas Luncheon – December 23, 2015, at Noon. Chief Adams advised our annual luncheon will take place on the 23rd, beginning at noon, and we extend invitations to the Department’s retirees as it is nice to join the old with the new. D. Family Fund Christmas Eve Delivery – Chief Adams advised there are 43 families who will be receiving gifts on Christmas Eve. Chairman Whittum inquired how they are chosen, and the Chief advised there are certain requirements that need to be met and it is usually done through the school systems. Chief Adams advised Detective Horan also plays a big part in recommending the families. Captain Clary advised a family had been recommended, but they actually declined the offer as they had acquired jobs and felt someone else could perhaps benefit from this very worthwhile cause, so there are success stories. E. Leadership Lakes Region – Chief Adams advised there were twenty-four individuals who participated in the Leadership Lakes Region Program and part of their program was to conduct ride alongs. Chief Adams advised everyone was so complimentary with regard to the way the Officers conducted themselves during this program and it was far more positive than in years past. VIII. Old Business – No Discussion Laconia Police Commission Minutes – December 17, 2015 Page 6 IX. New Business – No Discussion X. Confirm Date of Next Regular or Special Meeting – January 21, 2016 XI. Other Business – No Discussion XII. Citizen Comments – Dennis Lintz advised there was a six-month investigation that recently resulted in about twenty arrests and asked how many Officers were involved in investigation. Captain Clary advised there were ten Officers who performed the arrests and two to six Officers were involved in the preparation of the process. Dennis inquired if there were any Confidential Informants involved and was advised yes. Dennis inquired how many were involved in the Amy Lafond investigation. Dennis also suggested reaching out to businesses and Veterans as they are experienced in Active Shooter Presentations. Lieutenant Simmons advised we have not done that and doesn’t feel it is a good idea even if it is a former Police Officer. Gail Ober advised sometime in October there were two pieces of money accepted by the City Council from New Hampshire Drug Reimbursement for $8,000 which was targeted for surveillance equipment for the Detectives. Captain Clary advised the $8,000 was drug forfeited money and the other was money we received from State forfeiture. Captain Clary advised these funds have not been spent, but we will let the Council know when it is decided. XIII. Non-Public Session – No Discussion RSA 91-A:3II(a) – The dismissal, promotion, or compensation of any public employee or the disciplining of such employee or the investigation of any charges against him or her unless the employee affected (1) has a right to a meeting, and (2) requests that the meeting be open, in which case the request shall be granted. Meeting ended at 3:37 p.m.