Fiscal Year 2019 Data and Report

FY2019 Police Department Town Report (published October, 2019)

 Police Department:  It has been my honor to serve as the Police Chief since January 2019.  The South Hadley Police Department is staffed by dedicated and professional sworn and civilian members.  Many who either live or were raised in South Hadley, your Police Department personnel are truly committed to ensuring the safety of the Town.   The Patrol Division, comprising of Patrol Officers and Patrol Sergeants, was led by Lieutenant Christopher Luscomb.  The Investigative- Administration Division, led by Lieutenant William Sowa, is staffed by Detectives and School Resource Officers.  The Communication Center, supervised by the Patrol Division Lieutenant, include 5 Dispatchers.  South Hadley Police is served by one Administrative Assistant who oversees the Records function and assists with firearms licensing, external communications and fiscal management/payroll.   

Staffing FY19.  The Police Department hired 3 new officers, Spencer Hart, Junior Swaby and Kelsey Davey, all of South Hadley.  The Communication Center also welcomed Jason Rodriguez as a Dispatcher.  The community bid a retirement farewell to Chief Stephen Parentela and Officer Mark Dominick.  They had a combined 64 years of superior service to the community.  Officer Christopher Roberts, a South Hadley Police Officer since 2012, was presented with the Medal of Valor from his peers for his heroic actions in 2016 during an armed assault, protecting a woman and her children from a deadly assault.   Thank You, Officer Roberts, for your professionalism.

Grant Funding: The Police Department continues to identify grants to augment the budget.  Of the $62,000 that was awarded, this includes support for providing E911 services through the Commonwealth’s E911 Grant Program.  The South Hadley Communication Center is now eligible for an additional $12, 000 annually in E911 funding as the Communication Center now accept E911 calls directly from mobile phones, a great improvement implemented in April 2019.  Thank You to the Communication Center personnel for learning this new technology to improve the safety of the South Hadley community.  Funding to provide outreach and services to residents and families affected by the opioid epidemic was also received. 

Community Engagement:  Working with Toys for Tots, Special Olympics, the Scouts, SHHS and MESMS Youth Leadership, Youth Athletics, Food Drives, and Senior Center/TRIAD are just a few examples of our officers getting out in the community to strengthen the relationship with the public.  New programming includes our participation in the Public Safety Dive Team, represented by Det. Ben Tucker with South Hadley Fire District 1 members, which are available for dive search-rescue in South Hadley and regional waterways.  Also, under the guidance of Sgt. Jeff Goulet and Ofc. Rhyan Belisle, several officers volunteered for additional training and responsibilities to be members of the Connecticut River Task Force (CRTF).  With neighboring law enforcement partners, the CRTF was instrumental in educating and enforcement of the boating laws on the Connecticut River.  We heard from many South Hadley residents that our efforts have been successful, and we look forward to continuing our involvement with the CRFT. I am grateful that so many of our staff volunteer for these additional duties to improve public safety in South Hadley.  

Call Activity:  This year there were 130 arrests and 3 protective custodies.  In addition, 235 persons were summons to court for violation of law.  The Communication Center dispatched personnel to 18,560 calls for service, many calls requiring multiple first responders.   

Mission: Sgt. Robert Whelihan assisted the Department with guiding a re-writing of the Mission Statement, which is now:  The Mission of the South Hadley Police Department, working in partnership with the community, is to maintain social order and improve the quality of life within the Town of South Hadley. This is accomplished through constant vigilance and the pursuit of violators of the law as governed by both constitutional constraints and our ethical principles of justice, integrity, respect, courage and allegiance. Our goal is to understand and serve the needs of the South Hadley community by providing the highest quality of police services, assisting in resolving problems, and promoting positive values through equitable and impartial policing consistent with and reflective of the shared values of the community.

Very truly yours,

Jennifer Gundersen
Chief of Police

 Staffing, FY19 as of June 30, 2019

Police Officers:
26 sworn police officers, 3 vacancies
22 Men
4 Women
23 White
2 White/Hispanic
1 Black
 

Demographics of interactions, FY19

Race, ethnicity, and gender for FY19.  Please note that race and ethnicity is identified by the officer, not self-identified.  

SUMMONS:  235 Persons were summons to court for a hearing.  

ARRESTS:  There were 130 arrests in FY19.  Of those 130 arrests, 36 (27.69%) are a result of a warrant issued by a court and often another jurisdiction.

Traffic Citations:   In FY19 590 motorists were stopped by a South Hadley police officer and issued either a citation or written warning for the traffic violation.  

Crimes Reported and Calls for Service, FY19

Data is provided include all calls for service and all criminal incidents reported to the South Hadley Police in FY19 which required investigation and reporting.  

Calls for Service, FY19
Crimes Reported, FY19