Fiscal Year 2022 Data

Fiscal year 2022 Town Report Summary
July 1, 2021 thru June 30, 2022

Message to the Community:

The South Hadley Police mission statement list justice, integrity, respect, courage, and allegiance as the 5 ethical principles that guide the actions of our personnel.   I hear our team speak of their commitment to the South Hadley community and I also witness that their actions align with their words.   I am confident that we meet the high standard outlined in our mission statement.  Regardless, the Department is always striving to enhance its processes to reduce fear, instability, and victimization in the South Hadley community.  Any successes we achieve providing justice to all, is due from the support we are gifted from you, our community.  We are accountable to each member of this community and are grateful that you allow us to serve.  You can be confident that the South Hadley Police officers and civilian staff share in my commitment to equitable and impartial service to the community.  

Sincerely,

Jennifer Gundersen
Chief of Police

Staffing, FY22:

The South Hadley Police welcomed one new police officer during this fiscal year.  Officer Ryan Condino was hired 05/28/22 and graduated from the Boylston Police Academy in November 2022.   Officer Condino is a town resident and South Hadley High School graduate.     

Sergeant Robert Whelihan retired from the Department after serving nearly 40 years. Sergeant Whelihan started as a Special Police Officer in 1981.   We wish him a long/healthy retirement.

Officer Ray Hebert was promoted to rank of Sergeant in July 2021.   

Retired Sgt. Elbert Baker passed away in Jan. 2022. He served the Department from 1960 to 1981

We welcomed one full time Emergency Dispatchers to its ranks in the Communication Center to fill vacancy, Joshua Sorensen.   

Awards and Recognition FY22:

On August 24, 2021 Officer Spencer Hart was awarded the Life Saving Award and Exceptional Service Award after he, with fire department personnel, entered a smoke-filled apartment rescuing the two residents within.   

The Department Honor Guard presented the colors at both the Boston Red Sox in July 2021 and the Springfield Thunderbirds in April 2022.   Honor Guard members include Sergeant Mark Baran, Sergeant Jeffrey Goulet, Sergeant Raymond Hebert, Officer Joshua Helems and Officer Karl Kapinos.  

As part of the Departments’ annual fundraising endeavors, members of the South Hadley Police Dept. donated $250 to Baystate Hospital Rays of Hope/Pink Patch Project promoting a cure for breast cancer and $4800 to the Red Sox/Home Base Foundation, supporting returning military.  In addition, Autism Awareness Patch fund raising raised $600 in April 2021. The Dept. continued its participation in the annual Toys for Tots Campaign in December 2021. 

The Department achieved both Certification and Accreditation status this year. There are roughly 400 Law Enforcement Agencies in the Commonwealth and only 24 are Certified and 98 have attained Accreditation status. We would like to give special thanks to Sergeant Mark Baran who worked tirelessly over the past 3 years to help the Department obtain these important milestones. 

Community Outreach programs FY22:

Crisis Intervention Team:  Officer Cindy Boyle oversees the Departments’ Crisis Intervention Team and grant oversight.   The Department applied for and received two separate grants from Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.  This grant allows Officers to provide comprehensive services to those in the community who struggle with mental health, wellness or are in crisis.

Funding was granted for the Department to train officers in the enhanced 40-hour crisis intervention training provided by the Behavioral Health Network in Springfield.   The Department was also granted funding under a regional proposal to provide a co-responder mental health clinician for 24 hours per week.  The clinician is shared with Granby Police and accompanies officers from both departments on calls for service for persons in crisis. 

TRIAD/S.A.L.T. (Seniors In Law Enforcement Together) Officer Emily Tebo is the Departments’ liaison to the TRIAN/S.A.L.T.   In November 2021 The South Hadley TRIAD continued its annual participation in “Salt For Seniors” campaign, which provides sand to seniors throughout South Hadley in an effort to prevent falls/injuries in icy weather. TRIAD also participated in two (2) National Drug Take back days in the fall (Oct 2021) and spring (April 2022), collecting several hundred pounds of unwanted medications, keeping them out of our natural resources and hopefully helping to prevent the start of an opioid addiction. In June 2022, TRIAD also participated in the South Hadley Council on Aging’s “Aging in Place: Health and Awareness Fair,” which provides tips to Seniors on ways to help them stay healthy/safe in their homes longer as they age. 

School Resource Officer Program: Officer Josh Helems is the Departments’ School Resource Officer.  The ‘21-‘22 school year brought about challenges for the schools and students as they re-entered an environment full of uncertainty as COVID continued.  As such, many yearly events and activities of which the School Resource Officer normally participated in were altered or cancelled.  The Criminal Justice Vocational program from the high school visited the Department for a tour and interaction with several Department members, and an engaging Q+A session.  SRO Helems was able to liaison with the Amherst Police Department to utilize their ropes course for the CJ Vocational program students to work on team building exercises and interact with officers from the Amherst. In April, 2022 a “Carts and Goggles” event was held pre-prom utilizing special googles to mimic the effects of impaired driving. Students wore the goggles while attempting to navigate a coned course on the athletic field in a golf cart graciously lent by the Orchards Golf Course. SHFD #1 & #2 assisted with the event, as did the South Hadley Drug and Alcohol Coalition.  SRO Helems partnered the South Hadley Public Schools with Safe Routes to Schools to assist with future planning around pedestrian and bike safety and to hold Safe Walk to School events in town. SRO Helems also attended the Chamber of Commerce “Trunk-or-Treat” event at Beers & Story in Oct 2021., and the Recreation Departments’ “Touch-a-Truck” event held at Buttery Brook Park in July 2021.

Efforts to improve traffic flow at the Michael E. Smith Middle School were developed by SRO Helems and administrative partners at MESMS. Safety checks at the schools were performed often, and Safety Trainings and Safety Drills were conducted as well with those efforts continuing more in depth into the 22-23 school year.

Grant Funding, FY22:

The South Hadley Police was awarded $146,300 in grant funding during fiscal year 2022.   This supplemental funding includes the following:  $91,750 from the Massachusetts E911 Department for the operation of the E911 Dispatch Center; $6,200 from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security under the Traffic Enforcement Grant Program; $12,260 from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) to enhance the SHPD Crisis Response Team (CIT);  $30,450 from the DMH to support the development of the co-responder clinician program; $5,300 from the US Department of Justice to support the Departments’ efforts in achieving accreditation.  

Call Activity, FY22:  

Officers arrested 100 persons, 26% which were for arrest warrants issued by a court.   In addition, 233 persons were summonsed to court for criminal offenses.  Arrests and summonses for FY22 increased 12% from FY21.  Communication center staff dispatched first responders to 21,006 calls for service, an increase of 4% from FY21.

Staffing, FY22 as of June 30, 2022

Police Officers:
 26 sworn police officers, 3 vacancies
 21 Male
 5 Female
 23 White
 2 White/Hispanic
 1 Black
 

Demographics of interactions, FY22

Race, ethnicity, and sex for FY22.  Please note that race, ethnicity and sex is identified by the officer, not self-identified.  

SUMMONS:  233 Persons were summons to court for a hearing in FY22. 

ARRESTS:  There were 100 arrests in FY22.  Of the 100 arrests made in FY22, 26 (26%) are a result of an arrest warrant issued by a court and often another jurisdiction.

Traffic Citations:   In FY22 2,171 motorists were stopped by a South Hadley police officer and issued either a citation, written warning, or verbal warning for the traffic violation.  

Crimes Reported, FY22

Data provided include all calls for service and criminal incidents reported to the South Hadley Police in FY22 which required investigation and reporting.   

Calls for Service, FY22
Crimes Reported, FY22