Police Commission Minutes
Rochester Police Commission
Rochester, NH 03867
Lucien G. Levesque, Chairman
Bruce E. Lindsay, Commissioner
Derek J. Peters, Commissioner
MINUTES OF THE POLICE COMMISSION MEETING
The Rochester Police Commission held their regular monthly meeting at City Hall, Council Chambers on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. Present at this meeting was Comm. Levesque, Comm. Lindsay, Comm. Peters, Chief Allen, Dep. Chief Dumas, Capt. Toussaint, Chaplain Lachapelle and Secretary Warburton as well as invited guests, members of the Department and the media.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 P.M.
A. Pledge. All participated in the Pledge of Allegiance.
B. Prayer. Chaplain Lachapelle led the opening prayer.
C. Roll Call. The clerk called the roll marking all Commissioner’s present.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
3. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES:
A. June 3, 2015 regular meeting
Comm. Peters MOVED to accept the minutes of the June 3, 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. Recognition and Awards
1. Lifesaving - Officer Elizabeth Turner. Chief Allen noted that Liz has served us for almost six years. She has several letters of appreciation that she’s received over the years, including for a bad check investigation, reading to students and recognition for an outstanding traffic stop that led to a felony level arrest for theft. Not only is the enforcement part of the job here but the community outreach as well. You can see the broad range of Liz’s work. She is also a member of our Crisis Intervention Team which does a lot of work with the mentally ill.
Liz has previously been recognized for a distinguished unit action award for team work during a barricaded subject call. This is her first lifesaving award. Officers must react quickly and decisively in this situation which determines if the person survives. On June 26 she responded to a call for an unresponsive male. There was already a person performing CPR and Liz took over that function until paramedics arrived. It is important to note the paramedics as we work in tandem and teamwork with them. Liz’s action led to the person getting a fighting chance and his life was saved.
Chief Allen noted it was an honor to recognize Officer Turner and he presented her with an award ribbon for her uniform.
2. Retirement – Attorney Jerome Grossman. Chief Allen said we are recognizing Attorney Grossman’s 35 year tenure to the City. The City recently restructured its legal services and as a result of that consolidation, Jerry’s service to the city concluded at the end of the fiscal year.
Chief Allen said Jerry is not only my colleague but he is also a friend and I am saddened to see him go. He served as the City Attorney for five years, followed by an additional 30 years for the Department and Commission, serving under many Commissioners as well as six police chiefs. He did an outstanding job. Chief Allen said that Jerry also serves as legal counsel to the school board.
Chief Allen noted that former Chief Hussey and former Commissioner James McManus were here and invited them up to the dais.
Jerry served with distinction. He is a true professional whose commitment and dedication have truly been exemplary. He enhanced and made us a better department by protecting the integrity of the organization, always keeping in mind the best interest of the City and those that we serve. He was always available, never further than a phone call. Even when vacationing on the west coast he would answer the phone providing service on a multitude of issues. I can’t say enough about what he has done over his tenure.
Chief Allen said I speak for former and current commissioners that he gave sound legal advice on any issue he was asked to review. I think I speak for everyone when I say Jerry will be missed professionally but also personally.
A plaque was presented to Attorney Grossman by Chaplain Ronald Lachapelle who served many years with Jerry.
Chief Allen also read a letter prepared by Sheriff Dubois, who served 10 years as Chief. He noted that Jerry’s service was remarkable and a testament to his character. He also gave a character coin to be presented.
Chief Allen said that we can’t do the job we do without support, be it from colleagues, friends, and family and loved ones. Jerry’s significant other Betsy has been there in that capacity, and assisting him in a support role in some of the work he did for us. Chief Allen presented Betsy with some flowers thanking her for that support.
Chief Allen opened the microphone to Jerry.
Attorney Grossman thanked us for the recognition. He noted his appreciation for being able to serve these past thirty-five years. He has enjoyed doing it. He served under 25 or so Commissioners and as mentioned six Police Chiefs. He noted Chief Hussey was the first Chief he served under, and former Commissioner Jim McManus was also on the City Council when he served as the City Attorney. He thanked all the officers and civilian staff who have dedicated their lives to making Rochester better through their professional service.
B. Community Outreach – Internet Crimes Against Children: Det. Steven Bourque is the officer assigned to the ICAC task force which investigates high tech crime that exploits children.
Det. Bourque said why does ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) exist? The legislature finds that there has been a proliferation of exploitation of children through their use as subjects in sexual performances. Most importantly the numbers don’t lie. NH has had an ICAC Task Force since 1998; one of ten that were started nationwide that year. Rochester has been associated with the NH ICAC Task Force since 2005.
Statistics According to the US Department of Justice:
More than 45 million kids log onto the internet each day
On average kids are using the internet for approximately 11 hours a day
Parents don’t monitor internet traffic
Parents don’t know how to navigate the internet
1 in 5 kids ages 10-17 receive unwanted online solicitations
1 in 33 received an aggressive sexual solicitation (A solicitor who asked to meet them somewhere, called them on the telephone, sent them regular mail, money or gifts.)
Definitions:
Traveler
Suspect goes to victim
Suspect lures victim to him/her
Can be local or multijurisdictional
Generally involves heavy grooming process
Enticement
Classic internet based “Phishing” cases
Generally long distance
Some will involve threats
Most victims will NEVER meet or see suspect until it’s too late
Obscenity
Images or Videos that contain graphic Sexual related acts
Not all obscenity cases will contain images of child sexual abuse
Manufacturing
Creating, producing, manufacturing or a direct visual representation of a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct or participates in such conduct
Distribution
Sell, exchange or otherwise transfer or possess with the intent to sell, exchange or otherwise transfer any visual representation of a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct
Possession
Buy, possess or control any visual representation of a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct
HOW DO WE PROTECT
Think about what your sharing
What will this information mean later
Use the “If you send it, you own it” theory
Do your homework
Communicate with your family
Learn to navigate
Trust your instincts
C. Survey Results and Comparison – Review. Chief Allen noted the recent article in the paper reporting the results of our survey. We did our last survey, asking the same four questions in 2013. This is important information to reiterate and show the direct result of the work we do, not just on the crime fighting end of things but on the community policing initiatives we have implemented these past couple of years as well. For the most part this is an anonymous survey. We have no idea how people are going to respond. The reason it’s so important today is the national negative media attention placed on the law enforcement profession; the cases of misconduct on the news every night. I know how good a department we have - sometimes the perception in the community is different than the reality. I didn’t expect to get such favorable results.
One of the challenges with a survey is to get people to respond. We wanted to know the best gauge through the masses of the community how we are doing and what the community thinks we should be focused on as a department. We put the word out through face book, our web site and we also did cold calls of people we had contact with through the police log. Of note was the increased participation this survey compared to last. We had 178 responses in 2013 compared to over 500 responses in 2015.
Chief Allen said I was pleased with our overall performance rating. We received an average of 4.32 as most people rated us a four which was good or five very good. This says a lot about the men and women that work in our Department. These results are attributed to them and the work they are doing in the community.
The average on question two was 4.19 and that’s not what you see on the news every night. There is a lot of negativity that is going on through the country.
Question 3 asked for various areas the Department should focus more on. Drug enforcement was #1, as it was in 2013 as well. We have been addressing that through heavy emphasis by forming the Strafford County Drug Task Force and our teamwork between patrol and detectives focusing in neighborhoods that have higher levels of drug activity.
The last question was what is the biggest issue law enforcement has in the City. Drugs were listed as first, followed by staffing as something we should focus on moving forward.
D. Monthly Reports
1. Operations. Capt. Tou8ssaint said that because we didn’t meet in July he was essentially reporting out on two months. Just over 50 cases have been sent up from patrol and there were five call outs for the Investigations Bureau which included a robbery at Walgreens and four death investigations. The investigations bureau responds when we cannot immediately rule out a death by natural causes. They also assisted patrol with reports of a strong armed robbery which after some investigation it was determined the report was not credible.
Members of the bureau have been researching property and assisting with purging evidence from the locker. We take in a lot of property so it is critical to keep moving through the locker. Several major investigations were concluded this period. Arrests were made for the home invasion back in March. All cases presented to the Grand Jury were returned as true bills.
Two of our newest dispatchers were released to solo dispatching. We hired Jennifer Holman and still have two slots to fill. We held a written exam for dispatchers over the weekend and will be holding oral boards this week.
We had our federal NCIC audit on July 16, 2015. We had a couple of minor housekeeping issues we had to tweak on how we do things. But other than that we passed with flying colors.
The 4th annual Wings and Wheels was another rounding success, raising just over $11,000.00 and collecting about a ton of food for the food pantry. Officer Hayes has been working closely with mini task forces from various city departments including Code and Fire on some issues that have been raised at Amazon Campground and at a residence on North Main Street. These collaborative efforts lead to successful work. Face book continues to be a successful tool. Nine of the ten persons of interest posted on the site during the month were identified.
Andrea Mitrushi was hired for the prosecution position and is doing excellent work. She has jumped in with both feet into a very busy office.
Officer Jackson has been selected as the School Resource Officer for the High School. He replaces Officer James Murphy who resumed a regular patrol slot. Officer Jackson will also take over as advisor for the Explorer Post.
Over in Patrol half of the wards met this period and the other three are scheduled to meet in the month of August. Some have moved away from monthly to bi monthly meetings. Areas discussed included crime statistics, things affecting the entire community, panhandling and ways to prevent becoming a crime victim.
The traffic accident reconstruction team (TAR team) had a call out this period for a single vehicle serious accident on Washington Street. This is a very useful resource to have.
Our K9 team was busy over this reporting period with 21 call outs. Five were for drug searches in Rochester. Keith and Daisy were recognized at Fenway Park having been nominated for a Unit of the Year award. While he didn’t win it was an honor to be selected.
Comp Stat continues to show excellent results of self initiated activity. More officers are being released from field training which is increasing these numbers. It is our theory that the property crime we have been plagued with is tied to drugs, shoplifting, thefts and things of that nature. Our efforts are bearing fruit as property crime this period compared to last year is down 40% and year to date overall is down 30%. That is a credit to the proactive work of the officers. Our case closure for the year is up 37%. That is a success story in itself. We are happy with the work and will continue to work at this.
Over in Diversion Nicole was heavily involved with planning of National Night Out. She did a great job working with many partners toward a successful evening that unfortunately had to be cancelled due to predictions of severe weather passing through. While the storm passed right around us we erred on the side of caution given the information we had and due to the recent events in Lancaster.
An additional program was introduced through the Recreation Department this summer as an extension of Teen Night for a summer camp geared to at risk kids, modeling positive behaviors. Every Wednesday they participate in a field trip to keep the kids engaged. It has been very successful.
Comm. Peters commented that looking at the crime statistics there are a lot of positives. Full staff is key component. It is a credit to the officers and the proactive work. The results are showing in the numbers.
Chief Allen concurred noting that he is extremely pleased, as I know the commission is, with the results we are getting. Our most time intensive crime over the past several years has been shoplifting. That has been a huge problem and a resource drain in processing arrests and court time. To have a 61% reduction in shoplifting year to date is significant. That hasn’t come without a heck of a lot of effort from the staff. We meet once per month to review the statistics and officers strategize with the crime analyst weekly to target ways to attack these issues. These results don’t come without a lot of effort by the men and women in the Department or by accident. There is a lot of stuff that happens in the background that people don’t realize and don’t see. These results come from all of that hard work and effort during the month. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results we are getting and I hope to see it continue.
Comm. Lindsay asked if a notice is put out for comp stat for everyone to attend.
Chief Allen said that we can’t have everyone attend, but we do have representation from the various sectors.
Comm. Lindsay said 13 DWI arrests from traffic enforcement and only two resulting from accidents is impressive.
Chief Allen said we are getting great results all around. Capt. Toussaint is leading the patrol division and pushing supervision and those that work for him using effective strategies that give you the results you are seeing. We have to modify strategies to get those results and the Captain deserves credit for that.
Comm. Levesque asked if the Council gets this report.
Chief Allen replied that they do.
Comm. Peters inquired if they understand how the numbers are calculated.
Chief Allen said that he goes to almost every Council meeting and is happy to answer any questions they may have.
Telling the story behind the numbers is important as well.
2. Administration. Dep. Chief Dumas noted that we are about 12% into the year and spending is in line with that. Areas that you see maxed are those that are paid in full at the beginning of the year or funds have been encumbered for services.
We still have one final bid to award for clothing. This is a large complicated bid. At this point, it looks like it will be awarded to four different vendors. Our vendor from last year didn’t bid so that caused us to look at some of the equipment we are purchasing if it’s going to be useful if we are not familiar with the brand name. One of the bidders was going to be awarded a good portion of the bid has recently proven to not be reliable in terms of communications. We will be reevaluating that portion and hope to have this completed within the next couple of months.
We usually go to bid for vehicles at this time but we are evaluating the best vehicle moving forward based on our experiences with the Dodge charger. The car is low to the ground and has clearance issues. In addition, the size of the officers and all the equipment fitting into that compact of a car has been a challenge. We will be making a presentation to the finance committee in September to discuss our best options.
The vehicle that Housing purchased is in. It is due to be stickered and have the equipment transferred this week.
Comm. Lindsay commented that on a recent trip to Bar Harbor the numbers of cruisers that he saw that were SUV’s. Chief Allen noted that it’s not just in Maine. At a recent conference trade show the major car manufacturers were there and the number one vehicle purchased throughout the country, particularly in New England for the changing seasons is the SUV. Both Chevy and Ford make them and the reason they are the number one seller is, as mentioned the size of the vehicle, room for equipment in the car, cab space for larger officers. The larger officers have to drive the older crown victoria's and that is why we are looking at alternatives. Actually the cost is a bit cheaper and the gas mileage is almost identical.
Comm. Peters commented that the all wheel drive is important due to the seasons.
Dep. Chief Dumas said that training this month was limited and mostly involved the administering of the Narcan. In order to dispense we had to be trained at the health provider standard. This means additional classroom, an online course and a practical. Thirty-five officers have completed the process and we have sent their paperwork off to be certified. We have a great partner in Frisbie Hospital. The memorandum of understanding has been signed between Frisbie and the City Manager and we are thankful to have this resource if we need it.
Officers’ Garstin and Williams-Hurley were released to solo patrol this period. Officer Arrajj is set to graduate from the Academy on August 21, 2015.
We are pleased with the work Molly Martuscello has done since being hired as the Coordinator for Bridging the Gaps.
Comm. Peters wished to note Officer Funk’s recent illness, wished him a speedy recovery and inquired how long he may be out. Will his absence impact DARE?
Chief Allen said Officer Funk will miss the beginning of the school year. We also wish him a speedy recovery. It’s anticipated that he will be out for at least six to eight weeks. He is planning on returning to work once his recovery permits that. We will evaluate DARE moving forward.
6. CORRESPONDENCE:
Correspondence for the month included: Officer Danie is thanked for kindness and caring going above and beyond to contact the family of an elderly man who was lost. Lt. Bossi is thanked by the Employee Recognition and Achievement Team for being part of the team. Chief Bitomske of the Seabrook PD thanked Lt. Pinkham for assisting with a promotional oral board. Chief Allen is thanked for visiting the Chamberlain School to celebrate with the students. Sgt. Chris Cost recognizes Off. Garneau for his performance as a field training officer. Chief Adams of Laconia PD thanked Chief Allen for willingness to assist during the annual Laconia Motor Cycle rally. The Attorney General’s office thanked Det. Frechette for presenting at the annual conference on Domestic and Sexual Violence. Sgt. Deluca is recognized by Art Jacobs of the Recreation Department for assisting with developing and training on an emergency plan. Chief Allen and the Department are recognized by Main Street Director Mike Provost for our part in a successful Blues and Barbeque event downtown.
7. INFORMATION:
No additional discussion.
8. NON-PUBLIC SESSION: (Pursuant to: RSA 91-A:3)
Commissioner Peters MOVED to enter a nonpublic session at 8:30 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. Three minute recess. The non-public session closed at 8:51 P.M. on a MOTION by Comm. Peters, SECOND by Comm. Levesque and PASSED unanimously.
9. MISCELLANEOUS:
Comm. Peters MOVED to award merit increases on the respective anniversary dates to Sgt. Anthony Deluca (3.8%), Off. Frank Porfido (3.3%), Off. Aaron Garneau (2.95%), Off. Brittney Marvin (2.5%), Sgt. Andrew Swanberry (3.65%), Sgt. Jeremy Aucoin (3.2%) and Off. Thomas Powers (2.85%). The motion was SECONDED by Comm. Lindsay and PASSED unanimously.
10. ADJOURNMENT:
Comm. Peters MOVED to adjourn. SECOND by Comm. Lindsay at 8:58 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted
Rebecca J. Warburton
Secretary