May is Consumer Awareness Month

In May, the Hampshire and Franklin TRIAD programs will be sponsoring “Consumer Awareness Month.” TRIAD is a community policing initiative that links elders, law enforcement, fire departments and service providers to increase safety through education and crime prevention programs, and the Amherst Police have been involved in the program for several years. TRIAD programs across Hampshire and Franklin Counties will be hosting educational programs presented by Janice Garrett, Director of the Consumer Protection Division of the Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel's Office. These programs will highlight how the Consumer Protection Division provides assistance to residents of the Northwestern District and how individuals can avoid being victimized by consumer fraud such as home improvement scams, fake checks, identity theft and other issues that have a direct effect on local consumers.
.
The Amherst TRIAD/SALT Council will host Ms. Garrett’s presentation on Friday, May 8th, 2009, at 1:00 pm, at the Amherst Senior Center. To register, please contact the Amherst Senior Center at 413-259-3057.
.
To view our other Amherst SALT programs, please see our website or contact Lt. Jennifer Gundersen or Officer Jamie Reardon.
.
For more information on TRIAD or Consumer Awareness Month, contact Chris Geffin of the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office at 413-586-9225, or Dave Fenton of the Hampshire Sheriff's Office at 413-585-0618.

Weekend Activity Report 4/24/09-4/26/09

This past weekend, Amherst Police Officers responded to 300 calls for service, and 69 individuals were either arrested or will be summonsed into court on criminal charges. Also, two Officers were injured this weekend during a large party at the Townehouse Apartments on Meadow Street. A reporter for ABC 40 news rode around with Officers on Friday. To see their story, click here.

The primary offenses for those arrested include:
Possession of Alcohol Under 21 - 31 persons
Assault and Battery on Police Officer - 2 persons
Unlawful Transport of Liquor (exceed) - 1 person
Town By-law Keg Violation - 1 person
Possession of a Class E Substance - 2 persons
Operation Under the Influence of Alcohol (OUI) - 2 persons
Possession of Class D - 7 persons
Possession of Class B & C & E - 1 person
Town By-law Unlawful Noise - 10 persons
Town By-law Open Container of Alcohol - 12 persons

APD Receives $2,000 Grant from McKesson Corp!

Police Chief Charles L. Scherpa is pleased to announce that the Amherst Police Department has received a $2,000 grant from the McKesson Foundation. The grant was presented to Chief Scherpa on April 15, 2009, at the McKesson Corporation’s Hadley location. The grant award will be used to pay for the cost of training a police officer as a technician for the inspection and installation of child passenger safety seats. The Amherst Police Department has conducted monthly inspections of child passenger safety seats since 2005. Only officers who have completed a 40-hour intensive training course qualify as certified inspectors of child passenger safety seats, and recent budget constraints have made it impossible to train an additional officer for this duty. The Amherst Police Department is extremely grateful to the McKesson Corporation and the McKesson Foundation for their generous support of our efforts to ensure the safety of the Amherst community. For more information on our Child Passenger Safety Seat program, please visit our website.

Search Warrant Nets Drugs, 1 Arrest Made

On April 24, 2009, at approximately 7:18 am, the Amherst Police Department arrested Daniel B. McNamara for numerous drug offenses. The arrest follows an investigation into distribution within a school zone. A search warrant was executed at 699 Main St., Amherst, where McNamara is a resident while attending school at UMass. Numerous items, including a large amount of marijuana, were seized.

Daniel B. McNamara, Age 22
184 Park St.
Medford, MA

Charges: Possession of Class D/Intent to distribute (marijuana)
Possession of Class B (LSD)
Possession of Class C (Hashish, Hydrocodone)
Drug Violation 1000’ School Zone

McNamara was arraigned this afternoon in the Eastern Hampshire District Court.

Stolen GPS Recovered, 1 Arrest Made

On April 23, 2009, at 2:50 pm, the Amherst Police Department arrested David P. Dickinson. The arrest follows at least a dozen motor vehicle breaking and entering incidents that have occurred over the last several weeks. Taken in those breaks were GPS units, MP3 players, and laptop computers. An entry on Craigslist was found to have been made in an attempt to sell a GPS unit in the Amherst area. In response to the Craigslist posting, arrangements were made to meet Dickinson on Amity Street on April 23rd. Dickinson arrived on Amity Street with one of the GPS units, and he was promptly arrested. The investigation is on-going, and Dickinson’s involvement in the other incidents is not yet known. Additional charges may be forthcoming. Dickinson is expected to be arraigned today in the Eastern Hampshire District Court.
.
David P. Dickinson
266 East Hadley Rd., Unit 45
Amherst, MA
.
Charges: Receiving Stolen Property +$250

Rafters Road Race This Sunday!!

The Rafters Road Race is this Sunday, April 26, 2009. It is a 5-mile road race through the streets of Amherst. The starting and finishing point is at Rafters Sports Bar on University Drive, in Amherst. The walkers' race begins at 10:00 am and the runners' race begins at 10:30 am. The entry fee is $20 which goes to support the Jimmy Fund. The first 400 entrants will receive a road race tee shirt. For more information, or to print out an application, go to the Amherst Police Department's Website. Please make checks payable to "Rafters College Towne Classik."

.

Come for the race or to cheer on the participants. Sunday is going to be sunny and hot! Enjoy the first day of great weather in 2009 in Amherst!

Lost Elder Program Registration, April 22nd

On Wednesday, April 22, 2009, Amherst Police Officer Jamie Reardon, who is a member of the Amherst SALT Council (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together), will be at the Amherst Senior Center at the Bangs Community Center from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm to register Amherst residents into the Amherst Police Department's Lost Elder Program.

This program is designed to assist any Amherst elder who is easily confused or may become disorientated. Officer Reardon will register participants by taking their photograph and obtaining their personal and biographical information, which will be kept confidential, and placing it on file with the Amherst Police Department. For the participant who wanders, this information will be readily available to help facilitate their care and return home.

The Lost Elder Program may also be used in conjunction with the Alzheimer's Association's “Safe Return" program which assists in the identification and safe, timely return of those individuals with Alzheimer's and related dementia who wander or become lost.

For further information, please contact Officer Jamie Reardon at the Amherst Police Department by telephone at 413-259-3000 or by email at reardonj@amherstma.gov. To view our other programs that promote the safety of our elder community, please see our website.

This event is made possible by funding from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Community Policing Grant Program.

Weekly Activity Report 4/13/09 - 4/19/09

This past week, Amherst Police Officers responded to 527 calls for service, and 56 individuals were either arrested or will be summonsed into court on criminal charges.

The primary offenses for which these persons are charged include:

Possession of Alcohol Under 21 - 21 persons
Assault and Battery (Domestic) - 2 persons
B&E in the Nighttime - 1 person
Disorderly Conduct - 1 person
Possession of a Class E Substance - 1 person
Operation Under the Influence of Alcohol (OUI) - 4 persons
Operation Under the Influence of Drugs - 1 person
Operation of a MV with Suspended License - 2 persons
Operation of a MV with a Revoked License - 1 person
Possession of a Class D Substance - 1 person
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class D Substance - 1 person
Town By-Law Unlawful Noise - 4 persons
Town By-Law Open Container of Alcohol - 8 persons
Warrant - 3 persons
Leaving the Scene of Property Damage - 1 person
Misuse of a Liquor ID card - 4 persons

RAD Class Completed

Officers Ricky Arocho and Meg Attesi recently finished their spring RAD class which was held at the Amherst Police Department earlier this month. RAD, a self-defense class for women, is a very successful and effective curriculum that assists women by teaching them what to do in the event of an attack. Classes are offered by the Amherst Police several times a year; please view our website for class information. For more information, contact either Officer Attesi or Officer Arocho by e-mail or call 413-259-3000.

On April 17, 2009, at approximately 7:30 am, Leander Pridgett was arrested at Village Park Apartments, unit 129, in Amherst. Pridgett was arrested pursuant to a warrant that had been issued in Hampden County for a shooting that had occurred in Springfield. Pridgett was found hiding in a closet, and he was arrested without incident. Neither he nor any of the involved officers were injured. Pridgett is currently being held at the Eastern Hampshire District Court in anticipation of his return to Hampden County.
.
This arrest was part of a joint investigation with the Amherst Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Fugitive Squad. No additional charges are expected at this time. Specific questions regarding the original crime should be directed to the Springfield Police Department.

Census Employees in Town

The Amherst Police Department has been notified that U.S. Census employees will be in town between April and July 2009 and visiting every housing unit in Amherst. In order to conduct the 2010 Decennial Census, the Census Bureau must know the address and physical location of each place where people live or stay. We have been notified that census employees will wear official identification and carry hand-held computers to capture physical addresses and their GPS coordinates. While we don’t want to discourage our citizens from reporting suspicious activity, please be advised that these government employees may be out and about and walking around your neighborhood.

Community Enhancement Through Community Service

This past weekend, the Amherst Police Department coordinated a clean-up of Kendrick Park which needed a good raking after a long winter. The event was part of our Community Enhancement Through Community Service Program which has individuals who have committed minor offenses in Amherst, including open container of alcohol violations or noise violations, complete court-ordered community service here in our community. According to the program's coordinator, Detective Dave Foster, Kendrick Park is in pretty good shape as a result.
.
Next weekend, Detective Foster and his community service crew will be raking lawns at the homes of several of Amherst's senior citizens. For this one-time event, which was coordinated in partnership with the Amherst Senior Center, residents were given the opportunity to sign up to request the free service.
.
For questions about this program please either call or email Detective Foster at 413-259-3166. To learn more about our other Community Policing Programs, please visit our website http://www.amherstpd.org/.
.
This program is funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Community Policing Grant Program

Road Respect Mobilization

Earlier this year, the Amherst Police Department received a $12,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to support its involvement in the 2008-2009 Highway Safety Traffic Enforcement and Equipment Program. This grant provides funding for extra police officers to be on the roads enforcing the motor vehicle laws. A traffic enforcement mobilization titled “Road Respect” is being conducted April 3rd through April 26, 2009. The goal of this campaign is to reduce aggressive driving through education and enforcement of the traffic laws.

.

Chief Scherpa and the Amherst Police Department are dedicated to making our roads safer. Aggressive driving is a growing and dangerous traffic issue - usually representing a combination of unsafe and unlawful driving actions that demonstrate a conscious and willful disregard for the safety of others. Distracted driving is dangerous and can lead to aggressive driving. It only takes one second for a driver to become distracted and for a crash to occur. We hope that our efforts will be successful in making the roads of Amherst safer to travel.

.

Questions about this program can be forwarded to Sergeant Bill Menard at 413-259-3015.