Town of Shirley - Shirley, MA

POLICE DEPARTMENTIt is my pleasure to present my fourth annual report of the activities of your police department.The past fiscal year was a very busy year for the nine full time officers who make up the ShirleyPolice Department. These nine full time officers including the chief as part of the patrol forceresponded to 15,112 calls for service during the fiscal year, which was an increase of 184 callsover the previous fiscal year.Our Communications Center is staffed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week by four fulltime and three part time emergency medical dispatch certified communications specialists whoanswer all of the telephone lines for the police, ambulance, fire and animal control. They are alsoresponsible for answering calls for the sewer, water and highway departments during off hours.The State 911 Department required all 911 emergency communications specialists to be trained inEmergency Medical Dispatch prior to July 2012, which required all of our dispatch professionalsattend a three day class to become certified to give life saving directions over the phone during amedical emergency.The police department was awarded grants from the State 911 Department of approximately$25,000 which was used for training the dispatchers, purchasing dispatch equipment and paid thesalaries of the dispatchers for approximately one month.We continued to support the Mt Wachusett Community College Criminal Justice Program bysponsoring college students enrolled in the program as interns for the police department. Thesestudents received training as observers in our ride along program and were exposed to the varioussituations officers respond to on a daily basis. Sergeant Peter Violette serves as our liaison withthe college and is in charge of the training and scheduling of these students during their semesterwith the Shirley Police Department.Officer George Fichter, a six year veteran of the Shirley Police Department left in January toaccept a position with the Ayer Police Department. Officer Fichter served our department withhonor and integrity during his tenure with the Town of Shirley. In February we welcomedOfficer Jason Strniste to fill the vacancy left by Officer Fichter’s departure. Officer Strniste is aDecember 2011 graduate of the Municipal Police Training Academy in Boylston and hasexperience working as a police officer in Brimfield, MA where he served during the June 2011tornado that destroyed a large part of the community. Officer Strniste also worked as an auxiliarypolice officer in the Town of Charlton, MA and for the Federal Emergency ManagementAdministration prior to his appointment in Shirley.We saw a slight increase in breaks and stolen property crimes during the period of July 1, 2011and June 30, 2012 and increases in disturbance calls as well as domestic violence calls.Breaking & Entering 36 Officer Wanted 627Larceny/Stolen Property 57 Building Checks 7576Disturbance Calls 170 Animal Complaints 315Domestic Calls 78 Burglar Alarms 178Suspicious Activity 309 Investigations 184Summons/209-A Service 128 M/V Accidents 58Radar Assignments 453 M/V Stops 1121Citations Issued 573 Arrests 78Parking Violations 60 Fraud Offenses 24Harassment Calls 39 Welfare/Wellbeing 71Checks119