My First Two Weeks On The Job

I want to thank the voters of Windsor Locks for electing me Police Commissioner on November 8. My first two weeks on the job was an eye opening experience. 

My first police commission meeting went well. We talked about the hiring of a new Chief, an open hole policy, and replacing the aging generator at the public safety complex.

On Thursday November 17, I went for a tour of the Windsor Locks Public Safety Complex (built in 1974) and a ride along with an officer. I entered the police station (I had only been in the public area before) and really didn’t know what to expect. 

It felt like stepping back in time, which is not a good thing when you are talking about a 24-hour operation that is responsible for the safety of the Town. I was given a tour, and I was shocked at the age and the lack of room in the building.  The records room was jam packed with filing cabinets. 

There was barely enough room for a full desk and a makeshift tiny desk. I was shocked to learn that two people occupy the records room. 

My tour continued on to the locker room area. The men’s locker room was undersized. The women’s locker room (used to be the photo developing room) was just barely adequate. The police station was designed for about a dozen male staff (officers, dispatchers, administrators, and records personnel). 

Currently we have 28 staff members with the capacity for a chief and 2 more officers. When fully staffed the compliment with be 31. 

I continued on my tour and went down the back hallway. In the hallway was a refrigerator and microwave. When I asked why they were in the hallway I found out that the building never had a lunchroom. These are just a few examples of my impressions on my tour. 

After my tour I went for a ride along with a veteran officer. We had just sat in the police cruiser when the radio broadcasted that there was a woman who was choking. We urgently responded to the call and there was already another police officer at the scene.  He had managed to help the woman breathe shallow breaths, until the ambulance arrived. 

We proceed patrolling the town performing traffic stops, and checking last known addresses for suspects with felony warrants. One of the men we searched for turned himself in at the police station because he heard we were looking for him. The eight-hour ride along flew by and seemed like it took 30 minutes.

On Friday, November 18 I was asked by another veteran officer to observe a state-funded DUI checkpoint on Route 75. Officers from surrounding towns assisted. They worked like a well-oiled machine stopping cars, but getting motorists through the checkpoint quickly, efficiently, and friendly. 

The officer that gave me the tour really took the time to explain how important these checkpoints are. He told me about a checkpoint stop last year that yielded illegal guns and heroin. His enthusiasm and love for the Town was contagious, is yet another shining example of what is right and what we should be proud of on our Police Department. 

I was there almost three hours. There were no arrests for drunk driving while I was there, but several uninsured cars and unlicensed motorists were taken off the road. I drove home that night feeling safe knowing that the Town of Windsor Locks was taking motorist safety seriously.

My overall impressions on my first two weeks is that the officers really care about this town, they work hard, and have faced some unfair scrutiny over the last year because of the actions of a few. We really need to think about remodeling our police station to bring it out of the 70’s and up to date, update our policies and procedures, and we desperately need to hire a chief of police who can bring some real leadership to the department. 

I’m confident we can accomplish all of this with some hard work. I’m really looking forward to my next two weeks.