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2007 Annual Report
I herewith respectfully submit the Annual Report for the Nahant Police Department for the year ending December 31, 2007.

Personnel: 
Officer John Monoco resigned.  Andrew S. Constantine was appointed to replace Monoco.  Officer Constantine was Academy trained, resulting in the savings of thousands of dollars in associated training expenses.  Officer Constantine has demonstrated himself to be very capable, respected and well liked. In addition four new Reserve Officers were appointed this year. The new officers are, Sarah Vincent, Joseph Grodin, William Donnellen and Sean Furlong.  They have all demonstrated the characteristics necessary to perform their duties and I have received positive comments from their fellow officers and the general public.  I am pleased with their performance and welcome them onboard.

Training:
Officer Matthew Furlong is completing his training at the MPTC (Massachusetts Police Training Committee) held at the “Reading Police Academy” for full-time police officers.  We look forward to having him back on the roster by mid February.
All regular officers receive a one week in-service refresher held at the Reading Academy each year.  In addition all officers receive EMT-D (Emergency Medical Technician- Defibrillator) training every year.

Our Field Training Officers (Sgt. J. Paul Manley & Officer Michael D. Waters) are responsible for the mentoring and in house training of new appointments as well as the entire department.

All officers are receiving NIMS (National Incident Management System) training.  This training is meant to integrate various internal and external operations in the event of unusual events.  Also all officers have received advanced SETB (Statewide Emergency Telecommunications Board).  This is advanced E911 systems training and is meant to provide extended E911 training. The cost of these training initiatives is funded by grants.  Reminder, please use the 911 system for emergencies only!  Routine calls should be directed to 781-581-1212.

Police Memorial:
After many years of talking about a fitting tribute to our retired, deceased, full-time officers, it became a reality this year. No doubt that by now all citizens have seen this monument on the station grounds.  I want to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Sgt. Steven Shultz and Officer Geno Spelta and the entire Nahant Police Union.  The officers mentioned were the driving force behind the fund raising and the design of the Memorial.  I also want to thank all that bought raffle tickets or contributed financially or in other ways to this project. This memorial was constructed with only private funding; no tax payer dollars were used.  Also appreciation goes to Nancee Peters, Amy Klee and the Garden Club for their efforts in landscaping the area around the Memorial as well as their dedication to keeping not only our grounds, but the entire Town looking its best.

Building and Equipment:
The building is in good condition with no major repairs or renovations planned. At this point in time we have greatly outgrown the building and no longer meet the minimum square footage required for a police facility.  We have used every available inch in the building and are in VERY cramped conditions. One caveat however, this building is well over 100 years old and was never designed as a police station. As first mentioned in 2002 thought should be given to a replacement structure to avoid the pitfalls of last minute crisis planning. You will continue to see the previous italicized sentence in every annual report I submit. Let’s not get caught short when the time arrives! 

As in the past we will be budgeting for a replacement cruiser in 2008. This will continue the cycle of timely vehicle replacement, allowing for much greater trade in value and keeping our officers in safe vehicles.  Over the last several years this has been proven to be most effective.

FYI
Interested In Law Enforcement As A Career?
The Nahant Police Department is a modern, progressive, innovative department and committed to the Philosophy Of Community Policing.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement the following information is provided so that you may have a better understanding on how to become a Nahant Police Officer.

Reserve Officer:
In order to be considered for appointment as a Reserve Police Officer you must have attended and graduated from a Municipal Police Training Committee Academy basic course for reserve police officers. The ideal candidates will also posses E911 dispatcher training and First Responder or EMT certification and hold a valid Massachusetts drivers license. The Nahant Police Department will consider hiring and sponsoring (depending on vacancy) an individual that meets criteria set forth. A candidate must be responsible for his/her own training academy expenses as well a sign a waiver of liability releasing the Town Of Nahant from any and all claims as a result of injury or accident related to academy attendance.

Full Time Officer:
Must take and successfully pass a competitive examination. The examination is held once every three years and the passing candidates remain eligible for appointment during that period. The next exam will be held in the Spring of 2009. The ideal candidate for full time employment shall have completed a Municipal Police Training Committee Full Time Academy. Equivalent academies from other states will be considered if the Committee approves them. The ideal candidate shall also be E911 certified and EMT/D certified and hold a valid Massachusetts drivers license. The candidate must furnish three references preferably from the law enforcement field and must undergo a comprehensive background check. Notice of examination date will be posted at www.nahantpolice.org as well as being published in the local newspapers.

Special Notice Concerning Telephone Solicitation:
The Nahant Police Department does not endorse or sponsor any telephone solicitations. Any organization purporting to be raising funds on our behalf or the behalf of any Police group should be considered with suspicion.

Please notify the Nahant Police Department or the Massachusetts Attorney General should you be solicited.  Residents are encouraged to submit their telephone numbers to the National Do Not Call List.  A link to this site may be found at www.nahantpolice.org.

Community Policing Initiatives:
The AVL (Automatic Vehicle Locater) system has been installed.  The AVL system was obtained through a grant from EOPS (Executive Office Of Public Safety).  This will allow for real time tracking of our cruiser fleet and will be of great benefit to the dispatchers as well as increasing officer safety.  We are awaiting delivery of a highway signboard. This will allow for real time postings of emergencies and other public service information.  We have also added on board digital video recorders to our cruisers, providing enhanced officer safety.  We have been able to continue our summer time park and walk program, which provides us with additional personnel for traffic and parking enforcement.

Website:
I would like to invite all residents to review our website. It contains a wealth of information that I believe is very interesting and always changing and being updated. Please inform us of any other information you would like to see posted there. While visiting please take a moment and submit your answers to our completely revised “Community Survey” for 2007. This may be done on line or printed and mailed, this is an anonymous submission and no personal information is collected.  We again are deeply indebted to, Robert Wilson at Collage Works for his outstanding work and design on our behalf. It should also be noted that Internet Access, e-Mail and our presence on Web are made possible in part by grant funding from EOPS. 

Racial Profiling Notice:
If you believe that you were stopped by a Nahant Police Officer because of your race or gender, please report the incident by calling the Nahant Police Department at 781-581-1212 or by calling this toll free number: 1-866-6RACIAL (1-866-672-2425). For more information, visit the Executive Office Of Public Safety Racial And Gender Profiling Hotline page; http://www.state.ma.us/eops/hotline.htm

In Conclusion:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Board Of Selectmen and Town Administrator Mark Cullinan for their continued support; Town Accountant Deborah A. Waters, Treasurer Joni Bingham, Asst. Treasurer Kathy Famulari, Town Clerk Harriet Steeves, Administrative Assistants Sue Behen and Katie Costin in the Selectmen’s Office, The Advisory And Finance Committee and the entire Town Hall staff and all other Departments, Committees and Boards for their assistance during the past year.  Also DPW Supt. Ward for his assistance in maintaining our building and grounds through out the year.

I would like to thank our legislative delegation, Senator Thomas McGee & Representative Steven Walsh for their assistance with both legislative and fiscal matters.  They are to be commended for their tireless work for keeping EOPS (Executive Office Of Public Safety) funded as this is the source of many grant opportunities. 

Also to all members (full-time and reserve) of this department for their selfless dedication to duty.  The esprit de corps remains high despite the slanderous, unfounded, unsubstantiated and ill conceived remarks of a one time candidate for the Board Of Selectmen.

A special thank you to the Citizens of Nahant for your continued support and cooperation throughout the year.  I would strongly encourage any resident observing a crime or something out of the ordinary occurring to please contact the department immediately!

Respectfully Submitted,
William F. Waters, Chief