MADD Drive for Life Law Enforcement Award

On May 18, 2011, Amherst Police Officers Nicholas Chandler and Michael Forcum will be recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and be the recipients of MADD’s 2010 Drive For Life Award for their dedicated enforcement of the drunk driving and underage drinking laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This award is presented to selected police officers from across the state for their excellence and leadership in drunk driving enforcement.

Officer Chandler has been a member of the police department since February 3, 2009, and Officer Forcum has been a member of the department since July 10, 2006. Officers Chandler and Forcum were the recipients of this award in 2009. In 2010, they had a combined total of 41 arrests for Operating Under the Influence of Liquor. This high number of arrests clearly demonstrates the commitment by both officers in enforcing drunk driving and other alcohol-related offenses in Massachusetts. In 2010, the Amherst Police Department criminally charged 108 persons with Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

The Amherst Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety of all town residents and believes that through education and diligent enforcement of the drunk driving laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts we will achieve this goal.

For more information, please contact Sergeant Gabriel Ting or go to MADD website

The Amherst Police Department Launches Statewide Click It or Ticket Enforcement Effort

Massachusetts drivers and passengers should always wear their seat belts or be ready to face the consequences. That’s the message the Amherst Police Department will be sending this summer as they check to make sure motorists are buckling up. Beginning May 21, 2011, through June 5, 2011, the Amherst Police Department will be participating in this seat belt enforcement mobilization, taking place across the state, designed to increase seat belt use and decrease motor vehicle fatalities. “Too many people still have the belief that a crash will never happen to them,” said Amherst Police Chief Scott P. Livingstone. “Unfortunately these tragedies can and do happen every day.”

The Amherst Police Department has taken a zero tolerance stance on seat belt use. Amherst Police Officers have issued 143 citations in 2010 for failing to buckle up.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 334 traffic fatalities in Massachusetts in 2009. Sixty-five percent of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in motor vehicle crashes were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash - twelve percent higher than the national average. That’s why the Amherst Police Department is joining with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), the State Police and many other local law enforcement organizations to launch the Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization. Funded by EOPSS using a federal grant, stepped-up law enforcement activities will be conducted in late May and early June. So remember, if you are pulled over for disobeying traffic laws, law enforcement WILL be checking to make sure drivers and passengers are wearing their seat belts. No more excuses, no more exceptions. Click It or Ticket.

The Amherst Police Department conducts Child Passenger Car Seat inspections on the 3rd Saturday of each month, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., by appointment only. Open to all community members, our certified technicians will thoroughly inspect your child passenger car seat for wear and effectiveness and install it properly to assure the safest ride for your children. To schedule a 30-minute appointment either e-mail the Amherst Police Department or call 413-259-3355 and leave a voicemail.

Community members may also contact the Western Mass SAFE KIDS Coalition, which conducts weekly checkpoints on Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., by appointment only at 413-794-2255.

For additional information please visit www.mass.gov/highwaysafety or contact Sergeant Gabriel Ting at 413-259-3000 or via email or Officer Todd Lang.

* According to NHTSA, all numbers and percentages referencing belted or unbelted fatalities are based on “Known Usage.”

Amherst Police Department Receives Child Passenger Safety Equipment Grant

The Amherst Police Department has received a 2011 Child Passenger Seat (CPS) Equipment Grant for $7,500 from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) to expand its motor vehicle child safety efforts. The Amherst Police Department is one of 14 communities in the Commonwealth to be awarded CPS grants totaling $106,000 which were given to non-profits and municipal departments to reduce motor vehicle fatalities and injuries involving children.

Nationwide, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14. The CPS grant will be used to purchase child safety seats and related installation tools for free distribution to parents and caregivers in need.

“Last year we had 857 motor vehicle crashes in Amherst - 108 involving passenger injury. Unfortunately more families and caregivers in our community find it difficult to afford child safety and booster seats to protect their children from death or injury in a motor vehicle crash. With this CPS grant, the Amherst Police Department can better serve these residents,” said Chief of Police Scott P. Livingstone. “We can also keep reminding adults that they must set a good example for kids by obeying seat belt laws and always buckling up themselves.”

The Amherst Police Department currently has six officers that have been trained as Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians to assist parents and caregivers in proper child safety seat inspection and installation. Car seat installation and inspections are held on the third Saturday of each month, by appointment, at the Amherst Police Department. Please call 413-259-3355 to schedule a 30-minute appointment.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently updated its motor vehicle safety recommendations, advising that children are best protected by using rear-facing safety seats up to the specific age and weight limits of the safety seat. Massachusetts state law also requires the use of booster seats until a child is 57 inches tall or eight years of age. NHTSA data shows that among children under age five in passenger vehicles, an estimated 309 lives were saved in 2009 by restraint use. Of these 309 lives saved, 284 were associated with the use of child safety seats and 26 with the use of adult seat belts. At 100 percent child safety seat use for children under age five, an estimated 372 lives (that is, an additional 63) could have been saved in 2009. Over the period from 1975 through 2009, an estimated 9,310 lives were saved by child restraints (child safety seats or adult seat belts).

For more information on how to obtain or properly install child passenger restraints call the Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Hotline at 1-877-392-5956.

Child Passenger Car Seat Installations

The Amherst Police Department is committed to the safety of our children. Motor vehicle crashes pose a tremendous risk for children. When properly installed, child safety seats reduce the risk of death in a motor vehicle crash by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers. Safety belts reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a motor vehicle crash by up to 50%. This is where the Amherst Police Department can help.

The Amherst Police Department conducts child passenger car seat inspections on the 3rd Saturday of each month. The next scheduled inspection day is Saturday, May 21, 2011, by appointment only. Open to all community members, our certified technicians will thoroughly inspect child passenger car seats for wear and effectiveness and install them properly to assure the safest ride for our children. To schedule a 30-minute appointment either e-mail the Amherst Police Department or call 413-259-3355.

The Amherst Police Department has received funding from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Highway Safety Division for the equipment necessary to complete the inspections and installations. Questions regarding this program can be forwarded to Officer Felipe Feliciano at (413) 259-3000 or via email.

Mark Your Calendars for the 2011 Amherst Police Department Youth Fishing Derby

The Amherst Police Department will be sponsoring a Youth Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 11, 2011, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. The annual event will be held at the Mill Street entrance to Puffers Pond.

The Youth Fishing Derby is a very successful event which has, in the past, brought out dozens of young anglers from the community. It is an excellent way for the youth of Amherst to meet their Amherst Police Officers in a social, fun setting.

The Youth Fishing Derby is open to children, ages 12 and under, who are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Prizes will be awarded for the winners in various categories. The Amherst Police Department will provide the bait and soda - children will only need to bring their own fishing poles. The Fishing Derby is held rain or shine, and no pre-registration is required for this community-wide event. Come out for a day of fun!

Questions regarding this event can be forwarded to Officer Hunter Guiles at 413-259-3000 or via email.

Amherst Police Department Makes Crash Reports Available Online

The Amherst Police Department now allows community members to access their motor vehicle crash reports on the web. Responding police officers are required to complete a Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash report for all motor vehicle crashes that result in either injury or property damage in excess of $1,000. Until now, vehicle operators and insurance companies had to obtain crash reports through the Amherst Police Department Records Office. This process is not only time consuming for the Records Office staff, but it is also an inconvenience to community members. The Amherst Police Department has now contracted with policereports.us to provide the uploading and distribution of crash reports via their secure website.

Copies of crash reports can still be obtained at the Police Department Records Office, but they can also be downloaded online. When using the online portal, community members can search for their crash report, view it and print it from the convenience of their home. The cost for a copy of a crash report from the Records Office is $5.00, and it is $9.00 when purchased online.

“This is another example of our continuous efforts to improve our efficiency while maintaining the exceptional service we provide to the town of Amherst,” said Chief of Police Scott P. Livingstone. “We hope that this newly offered online service will enable our Records Office staff to save time and also provide a convenient, needed service for the community.”

To access the crash report database, please go to the Amherst Police Department website and browse to the Motor Vehicle Crash link on the left side of the website. For more information regarding this initiative, please contact Captain Jennifer Gundersen at 413-259-3012 or via email.

National Prescription Take Back Day a Success

The 1st annual National Take Back Initiative held in Amherst was a huge success! Hundreds of pounds of medication were turned in on Saturday at the Wildwood Elementary School. Keeping these medications out of the landfills, water sources and out of the hands of drug abusers was the goal of this well-attended event. We would like to say "thank you" to Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan for sponsoring this event. We are also appreciative of the Amherst Health Department, who coordinated the Amherst Take Back Program, and the Amherst SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) Council members, who volunteered their time to make it such a success.

See attached photo of Amherst Select Board Member Diana Stein at the 4/30/11 event.