year in review

Henniker Police Department 2010

The year 2010 was a busy and challenging year for us at the Henniker Police Department. Although our general calls for service and arrests were down slightly, our criminal incident numbers were up.

Three separate motor vehicle collisions this year claimed the lives of three people. Two of these collisions occurred on Weare Road and one on Bacon Road. Motor vehicle crashes were up to a four year high of 124 this year. The majority of these crashes were caused by speed or driver inattention. To reduce motor vehicle crashes will be a priority for the department this year.

We are very happy to report that Officer Matthew O’Connor is back with us safely after a year long military deployment to Afghanistan. Welcome home Matt.

This year Officer Michael Martin enrolled in a series of schools to become a technical accident reconstructionist. For the last fifteen years I have been doing this job, but have found that it is difficult for me to dedicate the time necessary to complete these investigations. I will continue to assist Officer Martin in the investigations of crashes involving death or serious injury.

Sgt. Matt French taught the first Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) class this year in Henniker, and had ten women graduate from the course. The course received outstanding reviews from the attendees. We hope to be able to provide this training at least once a year.

Customer service is a priority for us at the Henniker Police Department. Our goals are to:

     • Treat all persons with courtesy, respect, and professionalism
     • Be fair, equitable, professional, and decisive in all decisions
     • Provide quick and reliable service
     • Provide clear and accurate information
     • Be committed to the safety and security of the community
     • Strive for continuous professionalism, and
     • Provide services that reflect our personal investment in our community.

To maintain these standards, we endeavor to continuously strive for improvement. I am hoping to implement a survey on our website this year so that you can tell us how we did in our interaction with you.

Improving our relationship with New England College and the students remains a priority at the police department. Sgt. French spends two hours a week at the Simon Center as a resource for students and staff and this has proven to be quite successful. We have opened lines of communication with President Michelle Perkins and her staff and this has been critical in helping us resolve college related situations and issues.

Officer Michael Martin continues to teach D.A.R.E. to the fifth and seventh grade classes at the Henniker Community School. The year 2011 will be our twentieth year teaching D.A.R.E. at the school.

I am very proud of the officers and staff. They are well trained, professional, and care about the community. It gives me a great sense of pride to hear when we do something right, but I also need to know when you think that we don’t. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at hpd.rmurdough@tds.net.

Respectfully Submitted,

Ryan Murdough, Chief of Police