Once again it is my pleasure to submit the yearly report for 2007 to the citizens of Holden. Please take the time to look at the statistics and graphs that accompany this report and it is my belief that you will conclude that crime remains at an all time low and that the officers and department are providing quality service at minimal cost/expenses to the town. If you compare our staffing level and per capita cost Holden remains at the lowest, if not the very bottom, of these categories. Our calls for service climb steadily every single year and the bar graph depicts this rise. In fact our calls for service have doubled since 1994 and we have only increased the department by one officer since that year.

Our facility, built in 1978, continues to plague us with inadequate facilities to meet the needs of a growing community. Communications/dispatch console equipment is of 1980’s technology and adequate backup equipment is missing due to a lack of space. The year 2007 ended on an extremely positive note with the news of a Federal earmark of nearly $500,000 by Congressman McGovern for communications equipment. Hopefully this grant can be applied towards a new facility and something that is desperately needed.

During the calendar year 2007 the following events were noted [click here for newspaper articles]:

• Holden Police are linked to the NESPIN Pawn Shop Database which allows investigators to track property at various local Worcester County pawnshops.
• Holden Police receive state board certification for the second time. Holden is one of only 16 other towns to reach this level.
• Holden Police car laptop computers are linked to 19 other various town police department databases resulting in instant information being made available to the officer in the street.
• Det. Christopher Carey completes advanced Child Abduction training course in SanDiego and he is now part of the statewide CART team.
• For the third year in a row WRHS Criminal Justice students take part in cadet training at the State Police Academy in New Braintree.
• Lockdown and Shelter in Place drills are practiced at all Holden schools including WRHS.
• Murder charges are brought forward for a Holden resident involved in a December 2006 beating.
• Holden voters reject a proposed sex offender residency bylaw.
• Our second community survey is released to the public. The survey, completed by staff at Assumption College, indicates overwhelming support of the level of quality police service in Holden .
• Two arrests were made for arson to a local barn. The suspects were also charged in a number of similar fires in the greater Central Mass. area.
• Police provide additional security for the first week of school at the Mayo School as a result of a threat against an employee. The suspect was eventually arrested and is currently awaiting trial.
• Officer Jonathan Bourget arrests 3 suspects wanted for armed robbery and assault with intent to murder.
• Holden Police arrest subject wanted for numerous car breaks along the Rail Trail and town recreation areas.

I encourage all citizens to spend a few moments and browse our website. Johannah Adams has spent considerable time and effort putting together a well organized site with links to many governmental agencies that can be of great help to the folks in town. Our site is constantly updated and the weekly log is posted so that citizens can be aware of what is going on in their neighborhoods.

Respectfully submitted,
George R. Sherrill
Chief of Police

The Community Services – Schools Division was once again the main catalyst in developing emergency crisis plans for all local schools. Emergency plans were updated and lock-down drills were performed at all schools, grades K through 12.

The Wachusett Regional High School Criminal Justice Partnership program continues to grow, having 52 students at present. National Incident Management System (N.I.M.S.) training has been added to the program. It is a two-year program, consisting of a first year internship and a second year senior internship which involves further critical incident response training. For the first time we instituted a week of cross-training with the Holden Fire Department which proved extremely successful.

Security has been added to the Central Massachusetts Rail Trail thanks to our continuing bike patrols, which also cover the Holden town pool and other recreational areas.

The Community Services Division continues to support Wachusett Life-Skills, with the annual road race playing a large part in this endeavor. Holden Days, Public Safety Day and other community events all benefit from this well-rounded organization.

We look forward to working with the schools and all other aspects of community service during the coming year.

David A. Armstrong
Sergeant

The Holden Police Department remains committed to obtaining the best possible training for its officers, for we believe that the better the training, the fewer mistakes in the field. Training, like all education, ensures the patrol officer, the detective and/or the supervisor can adapt to any situation which may arise during his or her shift.

In 2007, all officers of the Holden Police Department completed training amounting to over 1,600 hours. The courses attended included certain medical training classes, such as CPR, First Responder and Defibrillator Training. All officers also attended classes in Legal Updates, Incident Command, Roll Call Instruction and Firearms Instruction. For Firearms, all officers received standardized Firearms Training as required by the MPTC by our Firearms Instructors, Sgt Christopher Noyes, Ofc Ray Sherbourne and Ofc Timothy Sherblom. All officers were also put through a series of Firearms Courses that tested their ability to shoot under stressful circumstances. This includes various scenarios the officer may find himself or herself involved in. All officers also qualified with the standard 12-Gauge Shotgun and the Police Rifle.

We are exploring the possibility of purchasing specialized electronic weapons in order to allow officers to subdue unruly subjects while further limiting risk to the officers and the subjects themselves.

Specific officers, depending on the needs of the Department, also attended classes in Ambert Alerts, Fraud Awareness, Street Survival, Conflict of Laws, Tasers, Detective Seminars, Drug Investigations, Sexualt Assault Investigations, Electronic Crimes, Retail Crimes, Financial Crimes, Dispatching, Sex Offender Registration, Autism, Cyber Crimes, OUI Offenses, Protecting Children Online, Police Accreditation, Field Training Officers Course, Mandated Reporters and Internet Safety for Kids. We will continue to provide our officers with the needed courses for their duties as those classes arise.

Officer Jonathan Bourget and Anthony Gribbons graduated from the Boylston Police Academy in January, 2007 after courses which lasted 20 weeks and encompassed 800 hours of training and instruction.

Our School Officer Program continues to be a success, with a School Resource Officer on a full time basis at Wachusett Regional High School, as well as a School Resource Officer part time at Mt View Middle School and at every elementary school. Unfortunately, due to the expiration of a grant and lack of funding, the full time Mt. View School Resource Officer had to be discontinued as of the end of December, 2006.

This past year also saw the city of Boston hosting the Annual Conference for the International Chiefs of Police, at which a number of police supervisors attended classes designed to assist them carry out their duties.

In 2007, officers from this department also provided numerous training classes and seminars in Holden and the surrounding area. This includes instruction in the Criminal Justice Program for classes at Wachusett Regional High School, RAD (Rape Agreession Defense) Courses, The Wachusett Civilian Police Academy (in which civilians get a taste of what a real police academy is like), as well as providing instruction at various locations throughout the state.

We wish to thank the MPTC, the Wachusett Regional School District, the Holden Fire Department, the Central Mass Emergency Medical Services, the Laconia, New Hampshire Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the surrounding municipal police agencies, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and the Nimrod League of Holden for the use of their personnel, facilities and services to supply us with the best training possible.

If you have any group request for instruction or training in the criminal justice field, to include a tour of a criminal justice facility, please feel free to contact us with your request and we will do everything possible to honor your it.

We believe we are fortunate in Holden, given the quality and dedication of the officers on this Department. It is often said in the criminal justice field that an agency’s professionalism is dependent upon its training program. We intend on maintaining the highest level of professionalism for the Holden Police Department by continuing to provide the best training possible.

Donald A Ball
Lieutenant

The Holden Police Department Detective Bureau is responsible for following up on preliminary crime reports that patrol officers are not able to accomplish during their normal patrol time. To accomplish this task, the officers assigned to the Detective Bureau work closely with the patrol officers of the department, as well as other law enforcement agencies and detectives in the central Massachusetts area.

Additionally, since crime is not restricted to municipal boundaries, Detectives participate in certain specialized organizations such as: the Worcester County Counter Crime Task Force, The Worcester County Fraudulent Check Association, the New England State Police Information Network, and the International Association of Financial Crime Investigators.

Again, crime has remained at a relatively low level even for a community of 18,000 individuals. House breaks and other crimes have been relatively low in Holden. This is due in part to alert community members calling if they see something unusual. Crime is also low due to your patrolmen actively patrolling the town looking for suspicious activity. A rash of car breaks did occur in 2007. Most car breaks occur at night and usually involve unlocked cars. We recommend that all cars be locked and valuables, including computers and GPS units be removed from the vehicle or hidden. It is also recommended that the serial numbers be recorded on all electronics making the recovery easier for us.

During 2007, the Holden Police department took a number of reports of scams. Some of these scams required the victim to pay money in advance. These can be foreign lottery scams, sweepstakes scams or a variety of different types of schemes. If you are asked to pay a fee to receive money, it most likely is a scam. Other types of scams involved overpaying for an item and sending the excess money back to the person. Just remember, If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you have any questions or concerns about Identity Theft or Internet safety please contact the Detective Bureau.

The Holden Police Department has also been receiving numerous reports of Identity Theft. To help protect yourself from being a victim of Identity Theft, do not give any personal information to anyone that you don’t know. This includes phone calls you receive and unsolicited emails. Also you should check your credit history by contacting one of the three credit bureaus. You are able to receive one free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus yearly. The Detective Bureau has also been investigating illegal Internet transactions/ credit card fraud. Use reputable websites when using your credit card and don’t give your credit card information out over the phone unless you called the company.

Detective Al Bourget
Detective Chris Carey

The year 2007 was the second consecutive year where the total number of calls to this office actually decreased, despite the fact that the number of licensed dogs increased for the second consecutive year. The total number of calls to this office for 2007 were 431 versus 482 for 2006, representing an 11% decrease, whereas the number of licensed dogs actually increased 1.5% to 2458 (approx.) ending 2007 from the 2422 figure ending 2006 (actual 2007 figure is not finalized yet, but will be higher). As this is the second consecutive year this has happened, clearly this is a trend worth noting. This office has been diligent in enforcing the laws and quick to respond to virtually all complaints and situations, the major areas of which will be expounded upon below.

Loose dog complaints, traditionally our largest enforcement category, exhibited the most marked decrease. We received 116 calls concerning leash law violations in 2007 versus the 158 calls we received in 2006. This represents a 27% decrease. Apparently more and more people are aware of the 24 hour leash law and are abiding by it. In addition, it would appear that many citizens have been quite responsible in reporting such violations, whether it be someone they know who is intentionally letting their dog roam freely, or just a sighting of an unknown loose dog. Animal Control is also constantly visible patrolling the streets. The combination of all of this is undoubtedly having the desired effect of reducing leash law violations.

The next largest category of calls received is Lost & Found. Here we experienced a decrease in call volume as well, with 82 calls received for 2007 versus the 98 calls we received in 2006 (16% decrease). This is tied in somewhat to the aforementioned loose dog category, as many calls received as “lost” dogs are actually dogs that have accidentally “escaped” their confinement and are running loose. However, the majority of these types of calls concern Lost or Found cats, and the number of incidents concerning these has decreased as well. Again, people are generally doing a better job of keeping their dogs confined so they are less likely to accidentally escape, and the feeling is more people are also keeping their cats indoors in order to avoid the perils inherent in letting a cat roam outdoors, namely coyotes and motor vehicles. We have a Lost & Found Clipboard here at the Holden Police Station where we record the necessary information for parties who call reporting Lost & Found pets, which sometimes helps to facilitate a reunion with their owners.

Wildlife calls continue to be a significant area for this office. The number of calls received in 2007 were virtually the same as in 2006, with 70 calls received in 2007 and 73 calls in 2006. The bulk of these appear to be coyote sightings within our neighborhoods. There is a significant, healthy coyote population not only in Holden but throughout the state of Massachusetts. No reason to be alarmed, as we have not received any reports of aggressive behavior from any of these sightings. People are reminded to keep their garbage tightly secured and their cats and small dogs indoors, and usually the coyotes will move along looking elsewhere for their food. Other calls received are for smaller, varmint-type animals such as squirrels and chipmunks gaining access to the inside of peoples homes and chimneys. While this office does not deal with removal of such critters, we are able to refer people to a couple of resources that deal in removal for a fee. There were no confirmed incidents of rabies in animals or bats, or the West Nile Virus in birds in 2007.

There was an increase in barking dog complaints in 2007. We received 35 calls in 2007 versus only 24 calls in 2006. This is a large increase from a percentage standpoint (+46%), but still a relatively small number overall. However, this is an area we are sensitive to and watch closely as the overall number of dogs in town continue to increase. Dog owners are reminded that barking dogs do tend to disturb the peace, especially in the evening and during the night, so owners must control their dog’s barking. By the same token, others must realize that some barking is normal and to be expected, so everyone should be reasonably tolerant as well. It is possible to reach a happy median between the dog owner and a complaining party, and our office can assist in this regard.

The last significant area concerns cats. We did realize an increase in calls regarding stray, abandoned, and feral cats. We received 33 calls in 2007 versus 25 calls in 2006, again a large increase from a percentage standpoint (32%) but still a relatively small number overall. Most of these calls involved cats that appeared to be stray/abandoned, and were not feral or approaching a feral state. However, upon consultation/investigation with the reporting party, the majority of these cats were not taken into custody for removal to the Worcester Animal Rescue League for fear that it was not stray but probably someone’s pet. People are advised not to feed cats that happen upon their property, as this makes it difficult sometimes to make a proper determination as to the true status of a cat. There does not appear to be a significant feral cat population in Holden at this time.

The Office of Animal Control is assigned to the Holden Police Department and is located within those premises at 1420 Main Street. It is typically staffed Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The phone number is 508-829-0215. For after hour emergencies please call the general business line at the Holden Police Department at 508-829-4444. Please also visit our new Animal Control page on the Holden PD website for more information.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael S. Sendrowski, Animal Control Officer (full-time)
Thomas S. Walsh, Animal Control Officer (part-time)