Police Commission Minutes

Rochester Police Commission

Rochester, NH 03867

Derek J. Peters, Chairman

Bruce E. Lindsay, Commissioner

Lucien G. Levesque, Commissioner

MINUTES OF THE POLICE COMMISSION MEETING

           The Rochester Police Commission held their regular monthly meeting at City Hall, Council Chambers on Wednesday, January 6, 2016. Present at this meeting was Comm. Peters, Comm. Lindsay, Comm. Levesque, Chief Allen, Dep. Chief Dumas, Capt. Boudreau and Secretary Warburton as well as members of the Department.

            The meeting was called to order at 7:00 P.M.

            A. Pledge. All participated in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

            B. Prayer. Comm. Levesque led the opening prayer.            

            C. Roll Call. The clerk called the roll marking all Commissioner’s present.  

D. Election of Chairman

Comm. Levesque nominated Comm. Peters as Chair for the upcoming term. Second by Comm. Lindsay.

Comm. Levesque MOVED to cease nominations and cast one ballot for Comm. Peters as Chair. SECOND by Comm. Lindsay. The motion PASSED unanimously.

Comm. Peters was declared Chairman of the Commission by unanimous vote.

E. Election of Vice Chairman

Comm. Peters nominated Comm. Lindsay as Vice-Chair for the upcoming term. Second by Comm. Levesque.

Comm. Levesque MOVED to cease nominations and cast one ballot for Comm. Lindsay as Vice Chair. SECOND by Comm. Peters. The motion PASSED unanimously.

Comm. Lindsay was declared Vice Chairman of the Commission by unanimous vote.

            Comm. Lindsay thanked Comm. Levesque for his dedication for the past two years. The communication level has been high, with a good professional relationship between command staff and the Commission. This has carried over to the general patrol officers and all involved, so I thank you.

            Comm. Peters echoed that. He said I look forward to serving both of you and the staff over the next two years. We have good cooperation and we get a lot accomplished in short time. I thank the staff for the dedication to the City.

            Chief Allen added his appreciation from the office of the Chief. I thank you for all that you have done and for your leadership over the past two years.

            Comm. Levesque said that working with this command staff was easy. The door was always open whenever they need to talk. They were always willing to listen and offer opinions and share opinions and that is how it should be.

2.        PUBLIC COMMENT: 

There was no public comment.

3.        ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES:  

A.  December 2, 2015 regular meeting.

Comm. Levesque MOVED to accept the minutes of the December 2, 2015 regular meeting as presented. SECOND by Comm. Lindsay and PASSED unanimously.

4.        OLD AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 

            There was no old business for discussion

5.        NEW BUSINESS:

            A.  Community Outreach – Strafford County Regional Accident Reconstruction Team. Off. Balint has been the team commander since the inception of the team. The following is a brief overview of the team function.

            Rochester first formed a local team in 1998; after purchasing a total station measurement device and sending an officer to specialized training to more thoroughly document serious and or fatal accident crashes. This became a regional county team in May of 2005.  The skill set is specific and if not used on a regular basis it can be lost. Moving to a regional team using manpower and equipment from several agencies has been beneficial.

            Currently there are twelve departments on the team with nine members and we are always working on getting officers training. This training improves investigations as a whole. Our main function is to investigation all serious and fatal crashes. Not all of those will result in criminal charges. There are several courses officers go through from basic to specialty. For example, one officer may have special skills in photography, another in evidence collection, while others have certification in mechanics to do a vehicle autopsy post accident. It helps to know if a car had a mechanical issue that contributed to a crash. Finally the CER also known as the black box for vehicles is downloaded and compared to the physical evidence we see at the scene. It can tell us speed, seatbelt use, airbag deployments and occupant positions.

            Some of the tools we use include digital cameras, as a picture is worth volumes. The total station is a surveying tool that has been adopted by law enforcement for forensic use, it measures scenes and distances much more accurately than the drag tools and measuring tapes of years past and is not hampered by wind or uneven road surface. The drag sled measures co-efficient friction between the tire and road surface.

            Comm. Levesque asked how many at Rochester PD are trained.

            Off. Balint said three. One is post crash SAE certified. The second officer majored in engineering and then me. There has been a lot of training invested.

            Comm. Lindsay asked if private companies come to us for our data.

            Off. Balint said yes. Information has been requested by Attorney’s and he personally has been subpoenaed to civil court to testify.

            Comm. Peters inquired how many call outs do we get a year?

            Off. Balint said it depends. It has dropped some in recent years. We like to think it’s because people are better drivers along with enhanced safety designs in cars on the road. Distracted driving is a major factor in many crashes.

            Comm. Peters asked is there a cost per department to be a team member.

            Chief Allen said there is not. Each department contributes at different levels. Some have equipment resources, some have more people. Rochester as the largest community in Strafford County has carried the lions share.

            How long does it take to process a scene?

            It varies. It can be as little as 2 hours to as much as 10 hours depending on the severity and weather conditions.

           B.  FY 16 Budget Proposal – Discussion Chief Allen said that over the past month we have been building the budget for the next fiscal year. The Deputy Chief coordinates and puts together the meetings. All levels of the agency are involved in the process.

            In the Capital Improvements we are proposing all new in car cruiser cameras. As we have discussed during the previous year the current cameras are roughly ten years old and using an antiquated system of DVD’s. The hard drives are failing. These are an important tool in today’s law enforcement not just for liability and for documenting scenes for court preparation but also for officer safety. This is a big ticket item, costing roughly $80,000.00. We plan to supplement with grant funds we received last year and believe we will have enough funds to outfit all 11 front line cars.

            We also propose the continued replacement of the mobile cruiser radios. We are asking for an additional $20,000., to continue that replacement cycle.

            Comm. Peters asked how many more that will replace.

            Chief Allen said that should finish this project. We are including the radio as part of the bid for new cruisers.

            We have asked for three cruisers under the replacement plan based on miles and in some cases mechanical issues too costly to repair based on the age of the cruiser. We are also asked into include the motorcycle leases that are done every two years.

            Comm. Peters inquired into the feedback from the staff on the Ford Interceptor.

            Chief Allen said all feedback has been very good from everyone who has driven it. It has all-wheel drive which is huge for navigation in winter months, the storage capacity is good and the cabin room fits all electronics. We do have another one on order; which is at least 6 weeks out from being fully operational.

            The Operations side of the budget there is nothing to highlight given the mandate of a zero percent increase. Everything for the most past is status quo from this current year. As we have done the past couple of years we have two budgets to work from; one that meets the mandate and one that we feel is what we actually need. Those items above and beyond are proposed as issues and options. Those include:

• A new officer. Every year we do a comprehensive workload analysis of what it takes for resources to respond to the calls for service and service demands. The calls for service and response times are put into a formula for how many officers you need to respond to calls over 24 hours 7 days per week. The science says we are good on how many we have on the patrol side. When at full staff we are down one position on the support side. This is a credible way of measuring how many officers and resources you need based on the ICMA (International City Manager’s Association) model.

• Forensic video analysis training. We have only one officer on the team trained to do that. That officer is now a supervisor and in the event they are not available we need to have a back up person.

• Increase the vehicle maintenance line by $2,000. 00 to be able to professionally maintain the bicycles used by patrol. Currently it is done by an officer with an interest in bicycles but he is not certified. For liability purposes we really need to have someone with the credentials to do that. We are looking to contract with one of the local bicycle shops.

            The Commission inquired how much one of those bicycles cost?

            Chief Allen replied about $2,000.00. They are ruggedized and built specifically for law enforcement. To have them professionally maintained will increase the longevity.

• Lastly we propose an increase to our regular overtime to cover what we pay out at the end of the year in comp time costs. An officer can take time as overtime or as comp time. We zero that balance out at the end of every year. However it really is overtime and it should be calculated that way to show a true depiction and accounting of those funds and how much is paid. It should be shown in the proper line not from a different salary line.

            Comm. Peters noted that vehicle maintenance line. For cruiser accidents, of which we’ve had a couple this year, we are paying the deductible out of that line.

            Dep. Chief Dumas said that at only ½ way through the year we are 66% spent in that line. If the deductible could come back to that line, okay, but it doesn’t.

            Chief Allen said those funds, if we recoup them when an accident is not our fault; have to go back to the revenue line. We could ask the council every time for a supplemental, but I don’t think we should. If there is money that needs to be transferred at the end of the year finance would ensure that line is covered.        

           Comm. Peters said the problem of moving the money makes it look like the line is overspent.

            Chief Allen said I could give an explanation as to why it occurred. We do a monthly report to the finance committee. If questions are asked we are more than willing to explain why a line item might be in trouble at any given time.

            Comm. Peters asked if there were any other changes that affected line items during the course of the year.

            Chief Allen said the funds for labor negotiations are going to be moved to the legal department, and those bills will be paid from that line moving forward. You will see the verbiage in our budget but there is no money attached with it.

            We are set to meet with the City Manager and finance on January 27 at 9:00 AM to review police and communications budgets. We are hopeful for a successful budget season.

            Comm. Peters inquired into dispatch.

            It is going well. They are at full staff with two in training.

            How is prosecution doing?

            We had some discussions with the attorney about additional support staff in that office to handle the workload, both current and backlog. I know he is proposing an issue and option to increase staff in that office.

C.  Monthly Reports           

            1). Operations. Capt. Boudreau reported that there were no Ward meetings held in December.  Ward 1 has not yet scheduled their next meeting. The remaining Wards are scheduling meetings in January, February and March. Community Engagement Officer Miehle has attended several meetings and has been involved with the Rotary fingerprinting program at the schools. He also met with the Portsmouth PD POP officer to discuss various aspects of their roles. They may develop meetings with other officers serving their communities in the same capacity to share ideas and strategies.

            There were more than 1000 traffic stops for the month. There were 41 arrests from stops. DWI continues to be a focus of our proactive activities.

            Property crime is down 31% year to date for total property crimes. There has been a slight increase in the numbers of thefts from motor vehicles. We identified and arrested two suspects for these crimes as well as for several residential burglaries. The numbers of similar incidents has dropped since those arrests. 

            The K9 team had four drug searches and four tracks in the City this period. The team participated in community events including Teen Night, the parade, and an open house at the Veterinary Clinic that works closely with the Working Dog Foundation.

            Fina, the Department’s first officially certified K9 in many years, who retired at the end of 2012 passed away early Christmas morning after a short illness. 

            Capt. Boudreau said that 55 cases were sent up for review and investigation from patrol. There were 16 cases presented to the Grand Jury and all were true bills. There has been some proactive work in checking on sex offenders. There was one arrest. The pawn shops were also checked with no violations.

            The Communications center has two in training. One is in week 13 and should be released to solo within the next couple of weeks.

            We are looking forward to the return of SRO Funk who is due back this month.

            2.) Administration. Dep. Chief Dumas said the budget is in relatively good shape. We are watching a couple of line items, such as overtime and vehicle maintenance.

            Although dispatch is in good shape with staffing, we are overspent in overtime due to coverage of staff shortages. The bottom line is still good.

            Revenues for this year are projected to be down on the outside details. We have adjusted that moving forward, based on a three year average. Parking ticket revenue is also down. We have been supplementing the legal department about thirty hours each month. If new staff is approved in the budget this may lessen.

            In hiring we are down two patrol officers. We are having a physical agility test this month. We sent out 200 invites and 11 people have confirmed so far. We are not unique in this. Other agencies in the state are having the same drought in filling positions. There are a couple of departments testing the same day we are. We have had no luck in attracting certified officers. The next academy is in May, so we hope to get candidates before you this first week of February.

            Bridging the Gaps is planning a community discussion “it takes a village” which is a series of discussions related to the opiate crisis. This looks to give parents the resources and knowledge to talk to their kids and to direct them to resources in the community for those seeking help. Education is going to be our best strategy for the long haul.

            Comm. Peters asked about the fuel line.

           What we budgeted and what we are paying has helped to the point we absorbed costs for increased officer liability from those lines in next year’s budget.  

            Comm. Lindsay inquired into forfeiture funds. The letter we got initially said there were no more funds, but a press release listed only a temporary hold, they would get the money to the communities but didn’t know when.

            Chief Allen said the program has been suspended indefinitely, so if we do work one that results in forfeiture we won’t get any of those funds under the current suspension. We don’t have that much that comes in to begin with. We work collaboratively on seizures with the DEA and other joint investigations so when those funds do come in we have to share it. We haven’t received anything of significance; a couple thousand here and there. We don’t use that or rely on that money for any specific purpose. I know other communities that do huge forfeiture money. While there are some things we could fund, this suspension is not going to hurt us.

            Comm. Lindsay noted that during the holidays he became aware of a church on Hanson Street that is doing outreach to addicts, families and friends about the current opiate situation. People can come and enjoy food, music, and just talk.

            We are making progress. The more resources out there, it doesn’t have to be associated with the City, the better it is for those desiring recovery.

6.        CORRESPONDENCE:

            Correspondence for the month included:   Det. Bourque is recognized by Chief Berube from Chester for an ICAC investigation. Det. Mangum, Det. Livingstone and Sgt. Emerson are recognized for the difficult investigation into the untimely death of a juvenile.  Off. Worthley was recognized for his presentation at a Ward meeting. The Department is thanked for participation in the Chamber annual Holiday tree lighting and parade.

7.        INFORMATION:

A.  Information Other; enclosed with Agenda. No discussion.

8.        NON-PUBLIC SESSION: (Pursuant to:  RSA 91-A:3)    

Commissioner Levesque MOVED to enter a nonpublic session at 8:00 P.M. pursuant to RSA 91-A: 3, paragraph II, section A (personnel) and section E (legal.) SECOND by Comm. Lindsay. The motion PASSED by roll call vote 3 – 0 with Commissioner Peters, Commissioner Lindsay and Comm. Levesque voting in the affirmative.  Two minute recess. The non-public session closed at 8:17 P.M. on a MOTION by Comm. Levesque, SECOND by Comm. Lindsay and PASSED unanimously.

9.        MISCELLANEOUS:

Comm. Levesque MOVED to award merit increases on the respective anniversary dates to Off. Eric Ball (3.3%) and Sgt. Eric Babine (3.95%). The motion was SECONDED by Comm. Lindsay and PASSED unanimously.  

10.        ADJOURNMENT:

Comm. Peters MOVED to adjourn. SECOND by Comm. Lindsay at 8:19 P.M.

                                         Respectfully Submitted

Rebecca J. Warburton

Secretary