Commonwealth Conversations: Public Safety

Debt of Gratitude

Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan
Secretary, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Secretary Heffernan's bio

Last week I had the sad duty of representing the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security at the funeral of Woburn Police Officer John Maguire, who was killed in the line of duty.  My thoughts and prayers, and those of the entire EOPSS staff go out to the family and friends of Officer Maguire and the entire Woburn Police Department and law enforcement community.  He made the ultimate sacrifice.  We owe an incalculable debt of gratitude to Officer Maguire and all of his public safety colleagues – police officers, firefighters and others – who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us.

Deck the Halls with Thoughts of Safety

Marshal Stephen D. Coan
Fire Marshal, Department of Fire Services
Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Marshal Coan's bio

Holiday lights, decorations, great food, and delightful gatherings of friends and families make this winter holiday season fun and are exactly the reasons that a fire at this time of year is so particularly tragic. As State Fire Marshal for nearly 16 years, I have responded far too many times to fires that have ruined the holidays for families. This year I am asking people to “deck the halls with thoughts of safety” and to take a few simple steps to keep your home safe for family and guests this holiday season.

The holidays we are celebrating involve lights and candles. Do not overload your electrical outlets with too many strands of lights plugged together. Burn candles inside a one-foot circle of safety free of anything that can catch fire and blow them out when you leave the room. A well-watered Christmas tree can stay fresh for a long time, but a dried out tree is like having a blow-torch in your living room so water the tree every day and dispose of it promptly after the holiday,

Remember the basics: make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working. Make a home escape plan and share it with everyone who spends the night.  Let’s make this a safe, happy holiday season.  For more tips on winter holiday safety please go to our webpage: www.mass.gov/dfs and type Winter Holiday Safety into the Search Box.

A Message from the Adjutant General

Major General Joseph C. Carter
The Adjutant General, Massachusetts National Guard
Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Major General Carter's bio

Greetings and Happy Holidays! 

With the excitement of the holiday season now fully upon us it seems that the days are not long enough to accommodate our responsibilities at work, at home, to our children, our families and neighbors.  While there are different holidays to celebrate and traditions to observe we all share a common prayer:  that the New Year will bring us a renewed sense of purpose, peace in our world and prosperity to our communities, our Commonwealth and the Nation.

For the Soldiers, Airmen and Civilians of the Massachusetts National Guard (MANG), the joys of the holiday season are tempered by the sacrifices being made by many of our members and their families.  As I write this blog entry nearly 1,800 MANG Soldiers and Airmen are deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in support of the federal military mission and hundreds of others are preparing to deploy in the New Year.  All told, since 2001 approximately 8,000 MANG service members have served overseas deployments.  For those service men and women and their families the separation that comes during the holiday season is a true hardship that they bear with grace and dignity.  Moreover, the holiday season is particularly difficult for the families of the thirteen (13) MANG service members who have made the supreme sacrifice on behalf of our Nation as well as the many who have been injured and wounded.

So in the spirit of the holiday season I ask everyone to take a moment to stop and reflect on the service and sacrifice of our Commonwealth’s military members and veterans.  Wherever possible, please include them and their families in your community’s holiday celebrations as well as your thoughts and prayers.

I want to thank Secretary Heffernan for her steadfast leadership and support and for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the EOPSS blog to speak on behalf of the citizen-Soldiers and –Airmen of the MANG.

May the joy of the Holiday Season sustain all of us and bring us closer to a New Year of hope, prosperity and ultimately peace and security for all.

In Remembrance

Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan
Secretary, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Secretary Heffernan's bio

For many, this time of year is one of joy and thanks.  However, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge that, the Commonwealth lost two members of our public safety family this week, Middlesex County Sheriff James V. DiPaola and Rehoboth Firefighter Kenneth Marshall Jr. 

In this difficult time, I pause to honor the service of both men, and offer my thoughts and prayers to both the DiPaola and Marshall families.

27th Annual Hanna Awards

Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan
Secretary, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Secretary Heffernan's bio

Today, I had the honor, along with Governor Patrick and Lt. Governor Murray, of presiding over the 27th Annual Hanna Awards.  The Hanna Award Ceremony is an annual event, named after Massachusetts State Trooper George L. Hanna Jr., who was tragically killed in the line of duty on February 26, 1983.

This year, we were able to recognize the acts of bravery and selflessness of 32 local police officers and five state troopers involved in 10 separate incidents comprising a range of heroic actions, including apprehending armed suspects, pulling a distraught man off a building ledge, entering a building to serve an arrest warrant while taking fire from an accused drug dealer, and rescuing a young girl who was being held against her will by the man who had just murdered her mother.

At the event, I was able to observe the honorees and their family members, friends and colleagues gathered in the House Chamber of the State House.  It served as a great reminder to me, of the importance of taking a moment daily to reflect on and recognize the contributions and sacrifices our state, local and federal law enforcement officers make on our behalf each and every day. 

A Veterans Day Reflection

Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan
Secretary, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Secretary Heffernan's bio

Each year, on November 11, Americans are given the opportunity to honor the millions of military veterans who have served this country. 

This year’s holiday is especially significant to me and to the entire staff at EOPSS, because Captain Tom Clark, who, until recently served as my Special Counsel here at EOPSS, is currently deployed in Afghanistan with the 181st Infantry Battalion.  His absence reminds me every day of the profound sacrifice that our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen – and their families -- make every day.  I know that all of us who have worked with Tom think often about how he is doing and how his wife and children are handling his deployment – they are always in our thoughts and prayers.

Additionally, deployed with Captain Clark is Darrell Gross, the son of EOPSS HR Diversity Officer Marie Gross.  Tom and Darrell are, of course, not alone as citizen soldiers who have volunteered to give up so much to defend our country and our Commonwealth.  There are 1,700 members of the Massachusetts Army and Air National Guard who are currently mobilized both here and abroad.  And there are many other employees of EOPSS agencies among them as well as serving on active duty in the Army, Navy, Marine and Coast Guard and Air Force Reserves.

Below is a list of the many EOPSS agency employees who deserve recognition, because like Tom and Darrell, they are away not only from the desks and stations we are used to seeing them occupy, but also far away from their families, friends and loved ones; far away from the day to day activities of life which we often take for granted.  We should honor each of these individuals for their bravery and personal sacrifice they are making to help keep us, and this country safe.

Andrew Alband, Department of Correction
Eric Ambrose, Department of Correction
Neil Antoniotti, Department of Correction
David Babineau, Department of Correction
Mark Baptise, Department of Correction
Trooper Shaun Bellao, Massachusetts State Police
James Bellerose, Department of Correction
Trooper Brian Bonia, Massachusetts State Police
Martin Bottari, Department of Correction
Augustin Boutelle, Department of Correction
Thomas Butler, Department of Correction
Thomas Clark, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Jerome Coelho, Department of Correction
John Dankievitch, Department of Correction
Eric Darisse, Department of Correction
Brien Durkee, Department of Correction
Anthony Falciano, Department of Correction
Allen Flagg, Department of Correction
Trooper Douglas Flavin, Massachusetts State Police
Shawn Fortin, Department of Correction
Chad Garlisi, Department of Correction
Daniele Golden, Department of Correction
Trooper Michael Goonan, Jr., Massachusetts State Police
John Jarvis, Department of Public Safety
Daryl Johnson, Department of Correction
Trooper Richard Johnson, Massachusetts State Police
Benjamin Joress, Department of Correction
Jorhan Jurado, Department of Correction
Trooper Erik Karlon, Massachusetts State Police
Stephen Keefe, Department of Correction
Armand Lafleche, Department of Correction
Trooper Keith Ledin, Massachusetts State Police
Steven Leger, Department of Correction
Michael Longton, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Steven MacArthur, Department of Correction
Colin Maceachern, Department of Correction
James Maltais, Department of Correction
Luis Marrero, Department of Correction
Michael McCue, Department of Correction
Trooper Ann McDonough, Massachusetts State Police
Trooper Edward McMahon, Massachusetts State Police
Eric Mello, Department of Correction
Dana Miller, Department of Correction
Patrick Moriarty, Department of Correction
James Murphy, Department of Correction
Patrick Newll, Department of Correction
Jason Newman, Department of Correction
David Olson, Department of Correction
Sean O’Neil, Department of Correction
Scott Patterson, Department of Correction
Trooper Michael L. Peaslee, Massachusetts State Police
Daniel Pelletier, Department of Correction
Louis Pimentel, Department of Correction
Joseph Raynor, Parole Board
Vanessa Robinson Jones, Department of Correction
William Ramos, Department of Correction
Danelle Ross, Department of Correction
Scott Ruttan, Department of Correction
Lazarro Santiago, Department of Correction
Nichole Sanville, Department of Correction
John Savage, Department of Correction
Leroy Schelde, Department of Correction
Christine Sheridan, State 911 Department
Mark Sheridan, Department of Correction
Peter Smith, Department of Correction
Scott Snell, Department of Correction
Gregory Tobichuk, Department of Correction
Keith Wilson, Department of Correction
Gregory Zieroff, Department of Correction

 

Grateful for DOC’s Emphasis on Victims’ Advocacy

LaDonna J. Hatton, Chief Legal Counsel, Massachusetts State Police

_________________________________________________________________________________________

A few weeks ago, as I was walking out of our monthly command staff meeting, I checked the voicemail messages on my personal cell phone.  I had a message from someone at the Department of Correction.  For a second, I forgot that it was my personal phone, and I was thinking that it was a State Police-related matter; it would not be at all unusual for me to get a call from another EOPSS agency. 

However, as the message went on, I realized what it was about:  it was the Victim Services Unit, calling to tell me that an inmate’s custody status was changing.  I am registered with the Victim Services Unit to receive information about an inmate.  I have worked in law enforcement and the courts for over 20 years, and would never have thought that experiencing a criminal case not as a professional, but as a “civilian,” would be such an intense experience.  As the matter proceeded, I came in contact with local police, victim witness advocates, assistant district attorneys, court personnel, a judge, and the DOC Victim Services Unit. The experience gave me an entirely new perspective, and great appreciation, for the work done every day by those who work in the criminal justice system.

The DOC Victim Services Unit plays a vital role in addressing the needs of individuals involved in criminal cases.  The Victim Rights Law provides for victims, witnesses, family members of homicide victims, and parents or guardians of minor aged victims to receive notification upon request.  Registering as a victim is a simple process—I received a form from the victim witness advocate in court, filled it out and returned it to them.  I now receive a telephone call, and then a follow up letter, each time the inmate is transferred to lower security.  In addition, I will be notified when the offender receives a final release date, receives an emergency escorted release, escapes or dies. While extremely rare, escapes are the highest priority and properly certified victims are notified immediately. When an inmate is released, victims are notified in advance by the DOC as long as the victim has provided the department with updated contact information throughout the inmate’s incarceration. 

The call I received on the day of the command staff meeting was from Jason, informing me that the inmate was being transferred.  He explained the security level of the institution to which the inmate is being transferred.  I had questions—what the particular custody status means, when the inmate would be eligible to be released.  Jason answered my questions with clarity, professionalism, and compassion.  I want to thank Jason, and all those who work with him, for the invaluable service that they provide.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan
Secretary, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Secretary Heffernan's bio

This past Friday, I was honored to have the opportunity to speak at the 3-Day Institute on Advanced Law Enforcement Practice in Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.   There, veteran law enforcement officers were given the opportunity to learn about cutting edge/best practices in responding to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence.

The training, which ran from Wednesday to Friday last week, was funded by a grant from the EOPSS Office of Grants and Research and was a collaborative effort between EOPSS and the Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC), in coordination with Jane Doe, Inc.  The timing was quite fitting, given that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

I could not have been more pleased than at the end of the training, when I was approached by two veteran Boston Police Officers who wanted me to know that it was the best training they had attended in the past several years. 

Throughout my career, whether as a prosecutor, as Executive Director of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, or in my current role as Secretary, I have seen firsthand how domestic violence and sexual assault cases are among the most complicated and difficult that law enforcement encounter, and because of that, I am extremely proud that over the last few years, we have been able to make a number of advancements in this field. 

Specifically, the Massachusetts Policy for Law Enforcement Response to Domestic Violence was updated and promulgated and the Sexual Assault Law Enforcement Guidelines were created, both of which have been broadly disseminated to law enforcement across the Commonwealth.  

Additionally, this year, Governor Patrick signed two important pieces of legislation into law- the first gives greater protection of victims of sexual abuse and intimidation by allowing victims to obtain criminally enforceable restraining orders against any offender, regardless of their relationship with the victim, and the second expands and updates the use of victim compensation funds to provide greater relief to victims, including extending compensation for reasonable mental health counseling obtained as a result of the crime.

Finally, despite facing difficult budget choices caused by the worst recession in generations, this administration has recognized the importance of the MPTC and proposed to increase funding for it three times in the last two years. We will continue to push for the resources they need. 

Though there is still so much work to be done, I am proud to say that we are moving in the right direction, with increased trainings, standardized best practices and guidelines, and legislative changes which provide better protection and services for those who need it most. 

Impaired Driving – A Serious Threat Any Time of Day

Colonel Marian J. McGovern
Superintendent, Massachusetts State Police
Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Colonel McGovern's bio

Those of us in law enforcement know that anything can happen, at any time, in any place.  But even knowing that, you still don’t always think it can happen to you.  Yet that is just what happened to me on the morning of Monday, Oct. 11, when I was driving to General Headquarters in my cruiser, an unmarked Ford Explorer. I  was on Route 20 in Shrewsbury just before 11:45 a.m. when I stopped at a red light at the intersection with Grafton Street.  There was another car stopped in front of me.  In my rear view mirror, I noticed another car coming toward me.  As I observed it, I realized that the car was not slowing down and that it was going to rear-end me.  With no time to take evasive maneuvers, I braced for the impact.

As soon as the rear-end collision was over, I got out of my cruiser and went over to the other car to check on the driver.  My first thought was that the woman appeared to have been knocked out in the crash.  As I got closer and opened the door, I realized that the woman driving was not unconscious, but something else.  Because the case has developed into a pending criminal prosecution, it would be inappropriate for me to speak in too much detail about my observations.  I will say only that, as a trained law enforcement officer, I quickly formed the opinion that she was operating under the influence.  I placed a call to our Troop C Headquarters in Holden to report the crash and request that a trooper respond.  The driver was placed under arrest for operating under the influence, as well as for driving without an active license and failure to take care in stopping.

First and foremost, I am grateful that neither I nor the woman who hit me was hurt in the crash.   I shudder to think what could have happened if she had not hit me, but rather, continued down Route 20.  Would she have gone on to hit a pedestrian or a car with children in the back seat?  Would she have veered off the road and rolled over?  Would she have crossed over the median and hit another car head on?  Much was made in the media after the crash about how this was this woman’s unlucky day – how unlucky do you have to be, after all, to drive drunk into the Colonel of the State Police.  But in a sense this was her lucky day – she is very fortunate that she didn’t kill herself or someone else that morning.

We know all too well the sad consequences of drunk driving.  We know it personally, because in June, Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Douglas Weddleton was struck and killed by one accused drunk driver after he had pulled over another accused drunk driver.

The crash reinforced the sad fact that we are never safe from drunk drivers, even at 11:45 on a Monday morning.  For the Massachusetts State Police, enforcement of impaired driving laws has always been, and always will be, a priority.  So far this year, state troopers have arrested more than 3,700 drunk drivers. Last year we took nearly 5,000 drunk drivers off the road.  We are out on the state’s roadways around the clock, day after day, looking for impaired drivers.  We often complement our three daily shifts with additional saturation patrols.  This past summer, we rolled extra patrols across the state on every weekend night.  Those extra patrols alone arrested 77 drunk drivers and cited hundreds of other drivers for unsafe driving behaviors.  In December, we will roll another of our “Drunk Driving.  Over the Limit. Under Arrest” campaigns, which will provide for hundreds of extra four-hour patrols over a three-week period. We continue to run sobriety checkpoints on many weekend nights.  Our commitment to finding and arresting drunk drivers has never been stronger.

The credit for that does not belong to me.  Rather, it is because of the excellent work of the men and women of this department – dedicated public servants who risk their own safety to protect our roadways. I am tremendously proud of the work they do, and their willingness to risk the full measure of sacrifice, as Sgt. Weddleton did, to make this state a safer place for the rest of us.

Emergency 911 Grants Announced!

Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan
Secretary, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Secretary Heffernan's bio

 There are few things more terrifying in the life of a parent than to feel that sense of utter helplessness, when you are unable to assist your own child.  Unfortunately, most parents at some point during the lives of their children have felt that sense of panic and fear, and I am no different.  

As many of you are aware, I have two amazing children- a teenage son and an eleven year old daughter, who also happens to live with Type 1 Diabetes. 

One winter night, when my daughter was about four years old, she decided to stay and have a sleepover in my room.  That night turned out to be one of the most terrifying of our lives. 

At some point in the middle of the night, I awoke to her having a seizure in bed next to me.  I immediately called 911, and within minutes, first responders were on my doorstep.  They were not only able to stabilize her condition and transport her to Children’s Hospital for treatment, but were also able to calm me down and assure me that everything was going to be ok. 

Whether it is a response to a private home with a medical emergency, to a four alarm fire, or to a pileup on the Pike, first responders are a necessary, life-saving force crucial to our emergency response infrastructure.  And, if the police, fire and EMS personnel who saved my daughter that night are the first responders, then the 911 call takers and dispatchers are the before first responders.

For far too long the Commonwealth undervalued the importance of the approximately 5,000 men and women who perform this role.  That is why one of the great privileges of my job is presiding over a grant program run by the State 911 Department that assures that we train, equip and pay these crucial contributors to public safety as they deserve.

This week, I am thrilled to announce the award of $10 million in 911 regionalization grants for 911 call centers (technically called public safety answering points or “PSAPs”) across the Commonwealth.  These grants are in addition to regionalization grants awarded in 2008 for $7.5 million and in 2009 for $8 million.

Specifically, $2.2 million in funding was awarded to the Hingham regionalization project, which involves the communities of Hingham, Cohasset, Hull, and Norwell, and is expected to be in-service in early 2011; approximately $1.6 million was awarded to the Worcester regionalization project to fund a feasibility study, materials/labor, architectural/engineering, and equipment costs and consists of Worcester and potentially 10 surrounding communities; and  over $1.3 million was awarded to the Berkshire County Sheriff Regional PSAP for a radio tower and other PSAP equipment that will improve 911 dispatch services to the 22 communities in Berkshire County that are served by the regional PSAP.

This grant program was established in 2008, as a result of a bill sponsored by Senator Timilty and Representative Costello and signed into law by the Governor which had the support of police, fire, the disability advocates, and the Governor’s team here at EOPSS.  

Since that time, we have not only been able to provide the development funding outlined above, but have also been able to award over $66 million in support grants to the 262 PSAPs around the Commonwealth for salaries, equipment or other operating costs, and have provided over $14 million for the PSAPs to use to train 911 call takers, to assure that they are able to perform with the highest degree of professionalism.