Halifax OKs police mutual aid accord
By Janice Nickerson, Enterprise correspondent
HALIFAX — Selectmen agreed to enter into a contract with the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council after meeting at the police station Tuesday with Police Chief Michael Manoogian to discuss the proposal.
The contract with SEMLEC will provide the town with regional resources, including police officers from other towns, if needed in incidents requiring specialized training or equipment.
Several towns in the region have already committed their police departments, Manoogian said.
Manoogian said Halifax passed an article at town meeting in 1994 that allows him to enter into reciprocal aid agreements, but the SEMLEC contract requires the approval and signatures of selectmen.
The regional mutual aid response team will also give officers the ability to make arrests in towns other than their own when called upon to provide aid by the chief of the requesting community.
The organization is relatively new, Manoogian said Tuesday, and will need some time to further develop the specialized units and sort out what towns will be purchasing the various types of equipment needed to provide regional support.
Manoogian said several towns south of Halifax have signed into mutual aid agreements by adopting state Chapter 40, Section 8, as have many communities outside Boston, including Gloucester, Lexington, Carlisle and Lincoln. Those towns have agreed to be part of the response of the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council.
Manoogian said it is probable that the region will have a marine unit, including trained divers.
Halifax officers will have to be trained in some of the specialized units over the next few years, Manoogian said.
Manoogian said the training will require some overtime pay, but said the return on the services from other departments in emergencies will benefit the town.
"If I have word that there is going to be a protest, and several hundred people are expected, I would only have to make one phone call to the SEMLEC" and they would know which departments within the area have officers specialized in crowd control, he said.
Now, Manoogian said, if that kind of situation were to take place he would call around to area departments one by one requesting help.
Manoogian said he does not anticipate this all coming together overnight, but it is a relatively easy process that will help bring departments together, he said.
"This allows the officers a venue to train together, and bring the officers closer together, through cooperation and knowledge," Manoogian said.
Being the northern most department for SEMLEC, Manoogian said he hopes neighboring departments, including Plympton and Bridgewater, are able to sign the agreement.
Manoogian said that would require voters in those towns to adopt Chapter 40, Section 8, at their spring town meetings.
By Janice Nickerson, Enterprise correspondent
HALIFAX — Selectmen agreed to enter into a contract with the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council after meeting at the police station Tuesday with Police Chief Michael Manoogian to discuss the proposal.
The contract with SEMLEC will provide the town with regional resources, including police officers from other towns, if needed in incidents requiring specialized training or equipment.
Several towns in the region have already committed their police departments, Manoogian said.
Manoogian said Halifax passed an article at town meeting in 1994 that allows him to enter into reciprocal aid agreements, but the SEMLEC contract requires the approval and signatures of selectmen.
The regional mutual aid response team will also give officers the ability to make arrests in towns other than their own when called upon to provide aid by the chief of the requesting community.
The organization is relatively new, Manoogian said Tuesday, and will need some time to further develop the specialized units and sort out what towns will be purchasing the various types of equipment needed to provide regional support.
Manoogian said several towns south of Halifax have signed into mutual aid agreements by adopting state Chapter 40, Section 8, as have many communities outside Boston, including Gloucester, Lexington, Carlisle and Lincoln. Those towns have agreed to be part of the response of the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council.
Manoogian said it is probable that the region will have a marine unit, including trained divers.
Halifax officers will have to be trained in some of the specialized units over the next few years, Manoogian said.
Manoogian said the training will require some overtime pay, but said the return on the services from other departments in emergencies will benefit the town.
"If I have word that there is going to be a protest, and several hundred people are expected, I would only have to make one phone call to the SEMLEC" and they would know which departments within the area have officers specialized in crowd control, he said.
Now, Manoogian said, if that kind of situation were to take place he would call around to area departments one by one requesting help.
Manoogian said he does not anticipate this all coming together overnight, but it is a relatively easy process that will help bring departments together, he said.
"This allows the officers a venue to train together, and bring the officers closer together, through cooperation and knowledge," Manoogian said.
Being the northern most department for SEMLEC, Manoogian said he hopes neighboring departments, including Plympton and Bridgewater, are able to sign the agreement.
Manoogian said that would require voters in those towns to adopt Chapter 40, Section 8, at their spring town meetings.