Northfield Police Department

A Message From the

Northfield Police Department

On October 7^th 2011, our 2008 Chevy Impala police cruiser was struck while parked on the side of the roadway.  The vehicle was totaled and the operator was criminally charged with operating under the influence of alcohol.  We filed an insurance claim, which reimbursed the town for over $29,000.  In order to appropriate the funding received from the insurance company to purchase a replacement cruiser, it will be brought to a special town meeting vote on February 6^th, 2012, 7pm, at Pioneer Valley Regional School. The cruiser that was totaled was not purchased with Northfield tax dollars as it was purchased through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Community Police Grant. Thanks to this grant, the Town has only purchased one cruiser since the early 1990’s out of municipal taxation.  Our intentions are to purchase a fully marked AWD, 2012 Ford Interceptor (formally known as the Taurus). If we do not purchase a cruiser this year, our fleet will be in rough shape come July 2013 as our 2011 Ford Taurus will have approximately 60K miles, or 2006 Chevy Impala will have 120K miles and 2003 Chevy Tahoe will have 130K miles.  I believe it is fair to say that both the 2006 and 2003 cruisers would be at the end of their lifetime at that point.  I hope to see you at the town meeting and would greatly appreciate your support.

I would also like to welcome Kevin Brown, our newly appointed Reserve Police Officer.  As a resident of Northfield, Officer Brown has completed the Reserve Intermittent Police Academy, holds an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from Greenfield Community College, is a former member of the U.S. Army and is a ranking member of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.  Officer Brown is currently volunteering his time in our field training program and I am confident that he will be valuable asset to our department and to the Town of Northfield.

Over the past few months, members of our department have been visiting local business, gathering emergency contact information from business owners. With this information we intend to improve the security and protection of our local businesses.  Our officers will conduct routine business checks to assure that they are properly secured and not subject to criminal activity.  With the appropriate contact information, we are now able to notify business owners immediately if any suspicious circumstances occur.  Due to an increase in burglaries and thefts to homes and businesses, we are committed to protecting our residents and business owners to the best of our ability.  Please remember that the best way to address crime is to prevent its occurrence.  Always lock the doors to your home, car or business and report all suspicious activities to the police.

Finally, I would like to remind all residents that the Police Department is committed to the satisfaction of whom we serve.  We are always open to suggestions and would be happy to address any questions, advice or concerns that you may have.  Please feel free to contact us any time.

Sincerely,

Chief Leonard Crossman

413-498-5118 (office voicemail)

413-625-8200 (emergency and non-emergency dispatch)

police@townnfld.com

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