The Walpole Police Department held a community forum at the end of October to get input from the community and address any local concerns. The meeting was a success, and many of the topics discussed can be found below for those who were unable to attend.
- The meeting began with Walpole officers explaining some of the programs they are involved with in the community: Officers Foley (accident reconstruction), Mackenzie (crime prevention), Smolinsky (child car seats, school mentor), Zanghetti (computer crime unit), O'Connell (Child Abduction Response Team), Leland (school incident planning), Carmichael (TRIAD), Hazeldine (RAD) and Salzberg (traffic enforcement) spoke.
- A question was raised about how residents can obtain information on the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry.
- This website maintains a Sex Offender Page where residents can find information on the laws surrounding this subject, as well as links to both the National database, and the Massachusetts database, including the identities, photos and addresses of Level-3 offenders. In addition, concerned residents can come to the station and request to look at a binder containing this information.
- Concerns were raised about alcohol and drug use among school-aged children.
- Sergeant Carmichael addressed these concerns, and is the process of putting together a forum for students to educate them on the dangers of drug use, as well as help for parents on recognizing the signs of drug use, and how to respond. In addition, information was provided on the Walpole Coalition for Alcohol Awareness, which can be reached through the
- A question was raised about how the Walpole Police Department handles cases of underage drinking, and if there is a "zero tolerance" policy.
- Chief Stillman discussed concerns surrounding underage drinking, and elaborated on how the Walpole Police Department works closely with Walpole schools in tackling this difficult problem. While a "zero tolerance" approach for police is not always beneficial, School Resource Officer Tim Songin, the schools and the police department work together to determine the best approach on an individual basis to try to produce a positive outcome for these situations.
- There was a concern about prom night, and the low turnout for the town sponsored post prom party.
- Chief Stillman pointed out there doesn't appear to be a noticeable increase in incidents on prom night, however, the department would like to see students become more involved in the post prom party. Through programs like School Mentoring, the department hopes to get children more involved with events sponsored by the town. Programs like this will help students feel more comfortable with town sponsored events, and hopefully increase their participation in the post prom party.
- A question was raised about the level to drug activity in Walpole, with a specific concern about heroin.
- While there have been arrests for this drug in Walpole, the incidents are actively pursued. The Walpole Police Department has a specialized detective assigned to drugs, who is a member of a regional task force dedicated to this specific threat. This detective, and the task force, is activity working in Walpole to address any issues with heroin, and any illegal drug activity.
- A question was raised about why we include the names of arrested individuals in the newspaper.
- Deputy Chief Bushway clarified that it is not the Walpole Police Department that decides this issue. requires the names of arrested individuals to appear in police logs, and furthermore, since these logs are public record, they are available to news organizations. It is not the intention of the Walpole Police Department to cause any hardship by including names; rather it is required by law in an attempt to have a transparent society.
- There was a concern about the level to traffic, and the speed of vehicles using Greenwood Rd. as a shortcut.
- The Walpole Police Department will post traffic monitoring equipment at this location to study the issue, as well as increase traffic patrols in the area to address any speeding concerns. The results of the study will be available on this page, so check back soon.
- Citizens were concerned about the minimum manning of police officers per shift.
- The Walpole Police Department shares these concerns. Chief Stillman pointed out that while the town has grown, population has grown, and the number of incidents has increased, our department has the same number of officers as it did in 1977. While the calls for service rose in 2008 to a record level, the department remains nine (9) officers below its preferred level of 45. The department and town are working together to try to address this issue.
- It was pointed out that since the school instituted bus fees, there has been an increase in school traffic, specifically on Gould St.
- Audience members pointed out this issue has shown up at several schools, with the Elm St. school working to redesign it's operation to help alleviate the situation, and willing to share information with other schools to help them as well. The Walpole Police Department is willing to offer any assistance it can in redesigning traffic plans for schools in an attempt to solve the issue.
The meeting was a great success. Many officers were on hand themselves to address the concerns of citizens personally. There were some great questions, and the department hopes to continue to offer these types of forums in the future.
Law Enforcement is an unbelievably broad field, and the title, "law enforcement officer" rarely gives justice to all that the police do. Decades ago, there was a shift in focus to a more community based attitude, giving rise to the well known term, "Community Policing".
This aspect of police work is something that the Walpole Police Department takes great pride in, and in recent years has taken great strides to create programs for the citizens of Walpole to learn, protect, and better themselves and their families.
Please, take a look below at all the services provided by our department, and feel free to navigate through the "Community Info" pages for details on these great programs.
Officers John Carmichael and Jackie Hazeldine brought this well-known program to Walpole, offering classes for Rape Aggression Defense.
A program created to help locate, and safely return, elderly people who may wonder due to Alzheimer's Disease.
Officers Steve Foley and Dave Smolinsky have been trained in the investigation and reconstruction of serious motor vehicle accidents.
Officer Chris Mackenzie is our crime prevention officer, and possess a wealth of knowledge on such topics as home and business security.
Our Domestic Violence Officer has received extensive training in domestic violence, and represents the department as it's Domestic Violence Officer.
Officer Joe Zanghetti is the computer crime investigator for the department, and frequently handles questions and concerns from parents about internet safety.
Our Senior Citizen Officer is available to the senior population of Walpole, where they can give safety tips as well as address concerns.
Officers Scott Koenig and Al Manganello are our motorcycle officers and are available to address specific traffic safety concerns when they are reported.
Officer Goodwin is the head of traffic safety for the department, and oversees the laws of the roadways throughout town.
Officer Songin is the School Resource Officer for citizens that have questions or concerns.
Officer Smolinsky is a certified and trained child car seat technicians, and his skills are available to the public.
A program offered where parents can have their children fingerprinted and photographed free of charge, so parents can have an up-to-date file on their children in case of an emergency.
Countless officers within the department have come together to help the less fortunate by raising money for some great causes. The bike officers raised money to fight Cancer through the PMC, Officer Carmichael even road to Washington DC on his bike for charity. Other officers run marathons or road races, all to help out the community.
A program offered where officers etch identifying numbers on your vehicles windows, making it unattractive to thieves.
The king of all community programs, where citizens enjoy a multitude of seminars directly from Walpole Officers on their various areas of expertise within law enforcement, from traffic to drugs, from car stops to investigations.
A program where members of the Bike Patrol distribute helmets to the kids to promote safe biking.
These are just some of the programs and areas of expertise that the officers and administration of the Walpole Police Department can offer. The availability and dates of these programs can vary. However, if you are curious about any of these programs, browse through the "Community Info" menu. In addition, some of the programs are offered throughout the course of the year, so check back. Any course, class, or program being offered by our department will always be announced on our homepage, so please, all are welcome, the more the merrier.
