Dunbarton news : Police

Woman arrested on burglary charges

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:26:00 GMT

Victoria Voydatch, 29, was arrested Nov. 8 and charged with an Oct. 5 burglary on Jewett Road in Dunbarton, in which numerous firearms, cash and collectibles were stolen.

Voydatch was arraigned in Concord District Court on Nov. 9 and is being held at the Merrimack County House of Corrections on $5,000 cash bail. Voydatch is also being held on charges stemming from incidents in Concord and Weare.

Dunbarton police are still investigating a number of other burglaries that have taken place in Dunbarton, and they continue to probe whether the burglaries are connected.

If anybody has any information regarding any of the burglaries that have taken place in Dunbarton, contact the Dunbarton Police Department at 774-5500.

Officer Jacqueline Pelletier is the lead investigator on these cases.

Dunbarton Police increase patrol in recreation areas

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:25:00 GMT

In response to an increase in complaints received from area residents, the Dunbarton Police Department reminds the public that there are town ordinances that govern the use of recreation and conservation areas in the community.

In the last several weeks, the department has received complaints regarding illegal dumping, curfew violations, improper parking, consumption of alcohol and suspicious vehicles in several areas of town. These areas include secluded wooded areas and town-owned lands.

Officers will continue their increased visibility in these areas and are making efforts to educate visitors to the area about the fact that activities on town-owned lands are governed by town ordinances. The town has an ordinance that prohibits the possession of alcohol, limits parking to designated areas and prohibits trespassing on town-owned property such as the Gorham Pond and Kuncanowet Town Forest areas between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Officers hope that increased awareness and visibility coupled with education and fair enforcement will effectively address the concerns of area residents. The full text of the Dunbarton town ordinances can be viewed by visiting dunbartonnh.org.

Dunbarton police article passes at special meeting

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:06:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

A total of 61 Dunbarton voters attended a special town meeting and voted by secret ballot whether to establish a revolving fund for special police details.

Only eight votes made the difference, with 34 voting in favor of setting up the detail account and 26 voting against it at the Friday, May 9, meeting.

“I think it went well. There was a lot of discussion and debate,” said Police Chief Christopher Connelly, who went before the Board of Selectmen weeks ago because the department had completely exhausted its detail budget due to covering a Public Service of New Hampshire project in town.

The article’s passage authorizes the Board of Selectmen to set up a fund for public safety details outside the typical police escorts and details. Such special circumstances would include events and highway projects.

Connelly said the $3,000 police special detail budget ran dry about three weeks into the budget voted in this past March because of PSNH’s installation of new telephone polls in town, requiring constant police supervision.

The revolving fund, under state law, allows municipalities to set up a fund that accepts payments and also pays out reimbursements for a very specific purpose.

In this case, vendors requesting detail officers for public service purposes would pay into the newly established revolving fund. The officer’s pay and any other costs associated with the detail would be paid from the fund.

Currently, vendor payments go directly into the town’s general fund with the payments to officers coming out of that $3,000 detail line item.

Two amendments were made to the article to bring the wording more in line with statutory language and clarify that the new fund would be used solely for details. One amendment also ensures that the money cannot be used for anything that Dunbarton voters turn down.

Town Administrator Janice VandeBogart said it was a quick and painless process to set up the new account in the computer.

“It’s an accounting thing that we can do in a few minutes,” said VandeBogart.

Dunbarton dispatch rates to double

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:04:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Dunbarton taxpayers will have to pay twice as much for emergency dispatch services in the coming year.

After pondering a tight budget 2008-09 year, the town of Bow will seek more revenue from Bow Dispatch Service fees collected from Dunbarton, Allenstown, Pembroke and Epsom, the four towns the dispatch center serves.

Dunbarton Police Chief Christopher Connelly was on the same page with police departments in the dispatch service’s coverage area in saying the increase in fees is fair, given the rising costs associated with running Bow Dispatch.

The new annual fees are based on updated call volumes from 2006 plus a $10,000 base fee. Dunbarton, which accounted for the least amount of calls, about 6 percent of the total calls for service in that year, will pay almost $23,000 for 2008-09.

That more than doubles the amount Dunbarton is paying for the current year, which is about $11,000.

“I think it’s an equitable way to do business, based on the calls for service,” said Connelly, adding Bow Dispatch is the most reliable service he’s seen in more than two decades of law enforcement experience.

In 2006, Bow Dispatch took 6,195 calls from Allenstown; 6,682 from Epsom; 10,072 from Pembroke; 2,605 from Dunbarton; and 18,980 from its own town for a total of more than 44,534 calls.

Epsom will now pay $43,000 instead of $19,000; Pembroke, which takes up the largest percentage of service calls besides Bow, will pay about $59,000 instead of $30,000; and Allenstown’s fees increased by about $20,000 to $41,000 for the 2008- 09 year.

Bow Dispatch costs about $400,000 per year to operate. That includes running equipment as well as paying eight employees, five of those being full-time. Since Bow absorbs about half the call volume and owns the center, taxpayers there pay the largest amount.

According to Bow Police Chief Jeff Jaran, the town collected about $79,000 in fees from the four peripheral towns for the current year. Under the new fee system, Bow will collect more than twice that amount, leaving about $235,000 on Bow taxpayers.

Some police chiefs, including Connelly, said they have explored other options such as moving to Merrimack County dispatch service since Bow’s push for a new fee system came to light last summer.

The problem is that Merrimack County dispatch is already overstretched in terms of personnel and space, servicing a total of 13 towns, and such a switch would overwhelm the service and clog the frequencies at this time.

“Their infrastructure presents officer safety concerns with getting air time,” Connelly said. “You can only do so much with the personnel you have and the equipment you’re allotted.”

Further, Connelly said, Dunbarton may not realize a savings in doing that after applying the costs to switch over the current information system his officers use, which is connected with Bow Dispatch to record all the necessary information from the call, thereby eliminating a lot of tedious work in entering the incident information into the system like many other departments have to do.

“Really, Bow continues to be our best option and is really in the same ballpark where we could go with other services,” Connelly said, adding the new fees have been added into the proposed 2008-09 police budget, totalling $321,274.

Several officers recognized for service during barn fire

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:17:00 GMT

DUNBARTON – Several Dunbarton Police employees were recognized for their outstanding effort and performance during a September structure fire at an employee recognition ceremony on Dec. 17.

On Sept. 22, the Dunbarton Police Department received a report of a structure fire at 1194 Montalona Road.

The on-duty officer covering the shift responded to the scene, arriving within seconds of the dispatch.

Upon arrival officer Gary Guevin found a fully involved structure fire. He radioed his findings to dispatch so that appropriate notifications and updates could be made to fire personnel that would be arriving shortly.

Guevin quickly assessed the situation and learned that one of the homeowners had entered the burning structure to free his horses from inside. At great personal risk, Guevin entered the burning structure to assist the homeowner with the removal of the horses and usher him to safety.

The roof of the structure collapsed just minutes after Guevin and the homeowner exited the fiery structure. Undoubtedly, Guevin’s actions helped to avert a more serious tragedy.

Guevin continued his assessment of the scene and determined that additional police resources would be needed to manage traffic and facilitate the orderly flow of fire apparatus and personnel arriving from as far away as Chichester and Warner. In all, 12 communities responded to battle the blaze.

Officer Joe Milioto and auxiliary officer Lenny LaMarca were contacted at their homes and immediately responded to the scene.

A short time later, officer Shayne Durant came upon the scene and stopped to join his fellow officers. It was a hectic scene as fire apparatus, bystanders and representative of various media outlets began to converge on the scene.

The actions of these officers most certainly assisted in the orderly management of an extensive fire and traffic scene.

Chief Christopher Connelly presented a Medal of Valor to Guevin for his display of personal bravery during the incident.

He also awarded Letters of Commendation to Milioto, LaMarca and Durant for their actions on Sept. 22 and for their selfless dedication and service to the community of Dunbarton.

Dunbarton Year in review 2007

Goffstown Editor — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:04:00 GMT

BY MICHELLE KIM
Dunbarton saw some of the same themes reemerge from 2006 – issues such as the SB2 ballot, gas pumps at Page’s Corner, the completion of the hearse housing. But 2007 also saw a number of changes particularly in the police department with the departure of Police Chief Jeff Nelson and promotion of executive officer Chris Connelly, and the completion of the long awaited town commons bandstand.

Dunbarton saw some of the same themes reemerge from 2006 – issues such as the SB2 ballot, gas pumps at Page’s Corner, the completion of the hearse housing. But 2007 also saw a number of changes particularly in the police department with the departure of Police Chief Jeff Nelson and promotion of executive officer Chris Connelly, and the completion of the long awaited town commons bandstand.

At the March elections, voters rejected for the second year in a row a warrant article to change elections from the traditional town hall meeting to SB2, or official ballot referendum- style voting, by 419-154 at the town meeting and 415-152 at the school meeting.

Incumbent Selectman Mert Mann, the only contested seat up for election, defeated challenger David Pellenz for another three-year term. Incumbent positions that ran unopposed include Tax Collector Martha Rae, Bryan Clark on the Board of Assessors, Ethics Committee member Brigitte Cook, Library Trustee Tiffany Dodd, Richard Schaeffer as cemetery trustee, Kristen Petretta as library trustee, and Janice VandeBogart as a trustee of the trust funds. On the School Board, Carl Metzger ran unopposed as did incumbent Rene Ouellet.

Voters overwhelmingly approved expanding Town Clerk Linda Peters’ part-time position from 10 hours a week at to a full-time position, despite lack of endorsement by the selectmen, increasing her salary from $23,800 to about $50,000 with benefits.

They also approved a town operating budget of $1,825,744, a 3.2 percent increase over the 2006 operating budget.

The School Board managed to bring in a school operating budget about $38,000 lower than the previous fiscal year, due in part to lower than expected middle and high school enrollments.

Because of the level school budget, the 2007 property tax rate was set in October at $14.56, or 11.5 percent lower than the previous year. The town portion increased by 40 cents, or about 20 percent, but was offset by the school portion drop of $2.39, or about 23.7 percent.

Police Chief Jeff Nelson retired in March, after six years of serving as Dunbarton’s first full-time police chief, for a position with the New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Services as bureau chief in charge of administration.

Previously he had been commander of investigative services with Goffstown police. Under Nelson, the Dunbarton Police Department was recognized by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), the first department with part-time officers in New Hampshire to achieve this.

Chris Connelly, who had been brought in by Nelson in 2003 as an executive officer and potential successor, was promoted to chief in March. Connelly served 10 years at the Goffstown Police Department and for seven years before that with the Hillsborough Police Department as deputy sheriff/sergeant. His main goals include seeking CALEA accreditation and renovation of the police station.

In May, Dunbarton hired master patrol officer Jacqueline Pelletier, previously of the Bow Police Department, as full-time executive officer to fill the position left vacant by Connelly’s promotion. Pelletier began her career at Goffstown in 1999 as a part-time officer and full-time communications specialist. She was recently recognized with an award for her outstanding patrol work with Bow.

John Levasseur was sworn in as Dunbarton’s third full-time officer in July. Levasseur, a Goffstown native and graduate of Goffstown High School, came to the department with four years of experience with the New Hampshire Department of Corrections.

Dunbarton resident Lori Davis sued the town in January under the Right-to-Know Law after allegedly being denied access to financial documents at a budget workshop where $100,000 was transferred from surplus to operating funds. Justice Philip P. Mangones agreed with Davis that the selectmen should have addressed the issue at a public meeting, but ruled that no laws had been broken.

A former Dunbarton Fire Department volunteer, Derek Milioto, turned himself in to the Merrimack County Attorney’s Office in May and was was arrested and charged with stealing fuel from the town fuel pumps, a Class A misdemeanor.

Discrepancies in fuel consumption were discovered by Fire Chief Jon Wiggin in October 2006, and surveillance cameras installed at the facility helped obtain evidence.

There may be up to a year and a half or about $3,000 to $4,000 of missing gas, but proof for only about $600, according to Selectman Les Hammond.

After receiving word that there might be fewer spots available for Dunbarton kids at the New Boston Central and Glen Lake’s preschool programs, a Preschool Committee was formed in the spring to explore the option of bringing a preschool program to Dunbarton, which currently sends only special needs children to preschool.

The School Board, after considering a short list of options generated by the committee, decided to remain with the current arrangement until more specific information could be gathered on the costs of an inhouse preschool program.

The Fire Department received $10,400 in the last year from memorial contributions made after the passing of Vera Fogg, Nancy Graybill, and former selectmen and Fire Department volunteers Peter Montgomery and John Swindelhurst II. Fire Chief Jon Wiggin said the money would go to purchase equipment the department didn’t have the funds for in the town budget.

A storage building to house the historic refurbished and rebuilt hearse was constructed by state prison inmates at Page’s cemetery. The dedication ceremony in August saw about 100 residents and volunteers, many in period costumes.

The uniform of deceased World War II hero Frank Dow Merrill of Hopkinton was on display Memorial Day at the Dunbarton Community Center.

Dunbarton American Legion head Gary MacCubbin helped it find a home with the New Hampshire Historical Society.

In August, Marine Sgt. Justin Somers was presented the Combat Action Ribbon by Sen. John Sununu in a ceremony on the Dunbarton town commons and accepted on behalf of his unit, the 2nd Military Police Battalion, which had deployed to Iraq in June.

The Dunbarton Garden Club offered the Hadley Heritage bulb for 2007, a late-blooming white daffodil with a yellow-pink cup, in commemoration of late Dunbarton historian Alice Hadley.

The Garden Club planted 2,500 bulbs around Page’s Corner in October in the third year of the “Daffodils for Dunbarton” program.

In late September, a fouralarm blaze consumed the barn of Sheri Nuanez and Keith Bernard, but miraculously the couple managed to save all of their 11 horses. However, they discovered their insurance covered the replacement barn but not the cost of temporarily sheltering the horses through the winter, as they had originally been told. They filed a claim with the New Hampshire Bureau of Insurance.

The Zoning Board hearing for a special exception for gas pumps at Page’s Country Store finally got underway in November with more than 120 attendees, after being rescheduled from September due to lack of space.

Experts hired by store owner David Barkie presented his state-of- the-art plan for a six-pump aboveground storage tank facility and studies on the traffic, real estate and environmental effects of the gas pumps. Abutters also hired a legal council and experts to address Barkie’s studies and the special exception criteria. The December continuation of the hearing, with 40 to 50 attendees, saw testimony and public imput from residents and abutters, mostly opposed to the plan, although a few spoke in favor of it. The hearing has been continued to Jan. 14.

After seven years of fundraising, the town commons bandstand project was mostly completed by December and dedicated with a Christmas tree lighting.

Dunbarton taxes down this year

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:04:00 GMT

BY MICHELLE KIM

Residents will see a lower overall property tax rate this year, due in large part to a drop in the school portion of the tax rate.

This year’s tax rate has been set at $14.56 per $1,000 of assessed value, which is 11.5 percent lower than last year’s rate of $16.46. This means the owner of a $200,000 home would be billed $2,912 in property taxes.

The town portion of the tax rate increased 40 cents, or 20.5 percent, from $1.95 to $2.35.

The addition of two full-time positions onto the payroll – town clerk and a full-time police officer – affected the town portion of the tax rate, according to Les Hammond, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. Hammond expressed surprise at the percentage of increase, though he said the selectmen had been expecting some kind of increase.

The jump in the town portion was offset by the drop in the school portions of the tax rate. The local school portion dropped significantly by 23.7 percent, from $10.08 to $7.69.

The state school portion of the tax also dropped slightly by 5.8 percent, from $2.40 to $2.26.

One of the main reasons for this drop, according to School Board member Betty Ann Noyes, is the smaller school budget for 2007-08, which is about $38,000 less than the previous year.

“The board last year, in conjunction with the School Administrative Unit administration, worked very hard to achieve a school budget for 2007-08 without any increase over the 2006-07 budget,” Noyes said. “We were operating with a flat budget this year.”

There were also fewer enrolled high school and middle school students than expected and fewer placements needed for special education services than were budgeted.

The School Board was able to return $868,000 to the town from lower than expected enrollments, according to Noyes.

In addition, Dunbarton saw an increase in money remitted from catastrophic aid, which comes from the state under a federal mandate for special education, and an increase in Medicaid funding, “which is all very helpful,” said Noyes.

Tax bills will be mailed by Oct. 31 and are due by Dec. 1. The tax collector’s office will be open on Dec. 1 from 8 a.m. to noon in addition to regular hours on Tuesdays 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursdays 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Payments postmarked by Dec. 1 are also accepted. For more information, call 774-3547, ext. 103.

Line of fire – 11 horses rescued from barn blaze by owners

Goffstown Editor — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:18:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

As flames and smoke poured out of Keith Bernard’s Dunbarton garage and barn, he and his fiancee didn’t have time to think. The couple could only act.

The four-alarm blaze on Saturday, Sept. 22, ripped through the property, but as the flames grew, Bernard and Sheri Nuanez ran in and out of the barn to rescue their 11 horses and move them to safety.

The couple was getting ready for a co-worker’s wedding when Bernard heard a pop and looked out to his garage, where he saw smoke. Upon opening the garage door, he saw flames, ran inside to get a fire extinguisher and told Nuanez to call 911.

Dunbarton Fire Chief John Wiggins spoke of the couple’s courageous act.

“They simply reacted and didn’t even realize the danger,” said Wiggins. “They took a risk and it paid off. We don’t encourage people to run back into the fire in similar situations, but we certainly know why they did it.”

Bernard, who attempted to fight the blaze with the extinguisher and a garden hose, said he and Nuanez have a close connection to the animals.

“Those horses are like our kids, they’re our family,” he said. “We have spent a lot of time with them, treated them and taken care of them. It’d be like losing a son or daughter if we had lost them.”

In addition to rescuing the horses, Bernard quickly realized that a truck was nearby loaded with recently purchased wood chips – a recipe for disaster. He ran to pull the truck out of the barn, and seconds after doing so the wall near that end of the building collapsed.

The garage and barn were only about seven feet apart from each other and about 75 feet from the house, which suffered minor damage from the heat.

“It was one of the biggest fires we’ve dealt with in recent history,” said Wiggins. “The house was minutes away from catching on fire. Our firefighters did a great job of protecting the home. We focused a lot of our efforts into saving it.”

Barely anything remains of the barn and garage, a painful reminder for Bernard.

“Rebuilding the barn is going to be a long and hard process. It’s devastating to walk through the door of the house, look out and see literally nothing,” said Bernard.

State fire marshals have concluded the investigation into the cause of the fire for the time being, and ruled it inconclusive.

“The fire started in the garage in a workshop area. There were paint and petroleum products around, but we just can’t determine exactly what caused it,” said Wiggins, who also said it is somewhat rare for investigators to be unable to locate the cause of a fire. “When there is complete destruction, which is what happened here, you can’t pinpoint what it was.”

Having no explanation for what caused the destruction to his property is frustrating for Bernard.

“Not being able to tell what started the fire is hard. If it was something electrical, we want to make sure we can triple check when we rebuild,” he said. “The destruction is just tremendous, and the reason is gray. We want to know what we can do to prevent something like this from happening again.”

Many friends and residents in the area have donated hay and other products to the couple, although Wiggins recommends that those looking to donate give cash or gift certificates to grain stores.

Both Nuanez and Bernard suffered burns from the heat of the fire, but despite the physical results of his actions, Bernard said he wouldn’t change anything.

“Obviously I don’t want to have to face anything like this again, but I would do it again if I had to to save these horses,” he said. “We’re getting better, but it will just take some time.”

A fund has been set up to help the pair rebuild. Donations can be sent to the Blue Ribbon Stables Fire Rescue Fund, c/o Citizens Bank, 199 Route 101, Amherst, NH 03031.

Goffstown grad settles in with Dunbarton PD

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:38:00 GMT

BY DAVE CHOATE

John Levasseur is still in training, but he’s found a home with the town’s Police Department.

“The training has been awesome so far. The easiest part is dealing with and communicating with people, and I’m really enjoying that,” he said.

On July 31, Levasseur was sworn in as a full-time police officer with the Dunbarton Police Department.

Levasseur fills a position that was approved at the Dunbarton Town Meeting in March and will become the town’s third full-time police officer after he finishes his training.

Levasseur comes to the agency with four years of law-enforcement experience, having worked for the New Hampshire Department of Corrections prior to joining the Dunbarton Police.

He is a graduate of the New Hampshire Corrections Academy and is a certified field-training officer. He was also a member of the Special Emergency Response Team and was promoted to the rank of corporal with the Department of Corrections in April.

Police Chief Chris Connelly said Levasseur comes from a local background, having lived in Goffstown and graduated from Goffstown High School. He said the new officer has impressed him so far and is learning the ins and outs of small town policing.

“So far, he’s adjusting very well. He comes with some good experience from the Corrections Department that’s transferrable to what he’s learning now,” Connelly said.

He said Levasseur is also active in the community, providing time as a boxing instructor at the Police Athletic League in Manchester, where he currently resides. Connelly said the new officer manages to find the time despite a busy schedule that will keep him in training for more than a month.

Levasseur said that he has assisted on traffic stops, a suicide call and a fire call. He also said that being an officer in Dunbarton should be a more varied experience than working at a larger department.

“Here you do more investigative work, so I’m just learning the geography of the town. You really do the full circle because the department is so small. I definitely get to see all the aspects of the police work, each stage of it,” Levasseur said.

He has several weeks remaining between the police academy in Concord and training in Dunbarton, but he said he’s eager to get to his job.

“I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can and becoming a very well-rounded officer,” Levasseur said.

Two burglars nabbed for Dunbarton crime

Bow Editor — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 22:02:00 GMT

BY DAVID CHOATE

Concord police arrested two men on July 6 in connection with a series of smash and grab burglaries in Dunbarton and Concord last month, with a third man believed to be an accomplice still at large.

Jonathan Bulliner of Warren, 17, was arrested on four counts of conspiracy to commit burglary and Scott A. Savage of Concord, 17, was arrested on one count of conspiracy to commit burglary.

The pair allegedly stole from Ordway’s Market, F & P Market, Capital Farms, Sandy’s Korner Kupboard and Makris Lobster Pool and Steak House in Concord. The two are also accused by police of being connected to a burglary at the Dunbarton Country Store.

Bulliner has been released on $20,000 personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to appear in the Concord District Court on Aug. 9.

Savage is being held on $10,000 bail and is due in court on July 23.

Concord police have a warrant for Andrew Abelha, 18, of Concord, who is being sought on charges of attempting to commit burglary and burglary.

Anyone with information on Abelha’s whereabouts can call the Concord Police Department at 225-8600 or the Concord Regional Crimeline at 226-3100.

Dunbarton police officer receives award

Bow Editor — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:11:00 GMT

On May 23, officer Jacqueline Pelletier, who joined the Dunbarton Police Department in April, received an award for outstanding patrol work while employed as a patrol officer in the town of Bow.

Bow Police Chief Jeff Jaran nominated Pelletier for the award, and the nomination was based on Pelletier’s outstanding performance in handling a situation at the Irving gas station in Bow.

The Looking Beyond the Traffic Ticket Award Ceremony, which was held at the Beacon Resort in Lincoln, is an annual event sponsored by the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council. An award committee receives and reviews applications submitted by individual officer’s supervisor and makes a determination as to which officers will receive the annual awards. Pelletier was one of the officers chosen for recognition by this year’s committee.

Pelletier received the Excellent Police Tactics and Observation Skills award for her outstanding performance on March 1, while working a patrol shift in Bow. Her patrol tactics and attention to detail resulted in the arrest of an individual who had entered the Irving gas station.

During the early morning hours of March 1, Pelletier’s attention was drawn to a vehicle parked illegally in a handicapped parking station at the gas station. After an on-scene investigation, the operator was arrested for driving while intoxicated and possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute. The driver was also issued citations for a number of motor vehicle offenses as a result of the incident.

A new police officer for Dunbarton

Bow Editor — Wed, 16 May 2007 20:17:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Master patrol officer Jacqueline Pelletier recently made a move from the Bow Police Department to Dunbarton to take over the full-time executive officer position vacated by Chief Christopher Connelly, who succeeded Chief Jeff Nelson at the end of March.

As the executive officer, Pelletier is second in command at the Police Department.

Beginning her career as a part-time officer and full-time communications specialist with the Goffstown Police Department in 1999, Pelletier met Connelly, who was then a patrol sergeant with the department and her field training officer.

“Frankly, I could not be more pleased to have someone of Jacqueline’s character join me in a leadership role within the agency. She is an extremely competent, dedicated, compassionate and professional officer, is wonderful with people and will be a tremendous asset to our agency and the community. Jacqueline is firm, but has a very fair and balanced approach to her law enforcement duties,” said Connelly.

According to Connelly, the department works hard to attract and hire people who will be a good fit for the department and community.

“Jacqueline embodies all of the fine qualities that we search out when looking for members to join our agency. It takes a particular desire and temperament to police a small community, and I think that she will be a wonderful addition. She loves community involvement, and I think people will find that she is very approachable and find her enjoyable to interact with.”

“It’s a great honor and a privilege to be able to work with a person who is not only my chief and my friend, but also my mentor,” she said.

Before coming to Dunbarton as the department’s new second in command, Pelletier was employed for three years as a patrol officer with the neighboring Bow Police Department.

Pelletier said she was offered an opportunity she couldn’t refuse.

“One of my biggest reasons was the opportunity here to become a D.A.R.E. officer and field training officer, along with the schedule and the community,” said Pelletier. “Here in Dunbarton, the schedule is easier for my husband and I to start having a family in the near future.”

Pelletier’s husband, Michael, is a New Hampshire state trooper who often works overnights as she did in Bow as well.

Still, Pelletier left Bow on good terms and Police Chief Jeff Jaran says he wishes her nothing but the best.

“We’re very sorry to see (Jacqueline) leave the department, but she left for a situation that presented a better opportunity for her family,” said Jaran. “We have a great working relationship with the Dunbarton Police Department, so we’ll certainly see and deal with her on a regular basis, which is great for everyone involved. We’ll miss her, but it’s good to know she is close by.”

Pelletier graduated from the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council Full-time Police Academy in 2002.

A certified child passenger safety seat technician, Pelletier is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree degree in criminal justice.

Christopher Connelly takes over as Dunbarton police chief

Bow Editor — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:02:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Dozens of officers from around the Central/ Southern New Hampshire corridor turned out to congratulate Christopher Connelly, filling the town meeting room to the point that many well-wishers had to wait in the hallway.

On Thursday, March 29, Connelly was sworn in by selectmen as Dunbarton’s new chief of police, replacing Jeff Nelson, who took over as Dunbarton’s first full-time police chief in 2001.

Nelson is stepping down to take a position as bureau chief in charge of administration with New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Services.

In that time, police staffing and standards have reached unprecedented levels for a department the size of Dunbarton.

Connelly, who had worked with Nelson in Goffstown, followed him to Dunbarton shortly thereafter and was groomed from day one to be the next head of the police department.

“Jeff and I knew each other well from our time together in Goffstown, and when a position opened up here in Dunbarton, we kind of knew it would be a good fit,” said Connelly.

“I’m very fortunate. I couldn’t think of having a better situation because the people we have on board here, from our office administrator to our auxiliary volunteers to our part-time officers, they’re all just great people, and it makes it so enjoyable.”

It is Connelly’s professional work habits that will make him a great police chief, said Nelson.

“Whenever you look at anybody for a leadership position, it always comes down to character and he has excellent character, first and foremost,” he said. “He has a work habit that is second to none. He works very hard, has donated a lot of hours to the community over the last four years, and he has never been one of those guys that is always looking at the clock. He’ll always stay until the work is done.

“He also has great people skills,” Nelson continued. “He fits in really well with in the department and makes great connections with the community.”

But Nelson said it is the fact that he and Connelly share many of the same values and ideals, which will make him a perfect successor.

“The good thing is that this will be a seamless transition,” said Nelson. “He’s going to bring his own leadership style and abilities and knowledge, but he’s got some short-term and longterm challenges, and I think he will do an excellent job with those.”

One of the goals the department has accomplished under the two men is receiving CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) “recognition, st department in the United States to receive such an honor.

Connelly and Nelson brought all the department’s part-time officers up to full-time standards to accomplish the task. The process revolutionized the departments procedures in terms of record keeping, inventories and system of checks and balances.

The next step, under Connelly, is to receive full accreditation under CALEA standards.

“The accreditation is a huge thing for us, it provides a great template for the community and how to run the agency and we’re going to move forward and continue in that process until full accreditation is reached,” said Connelly. “It’s a tremendous stepping stone and blueprint for the agency, which is critically important for us.”

Other goals Connelly plans to pursue are a renovation project for the police station and the continued hiring of quality officers, including two full-timers in the coming months, which he said will be a great boost in coverage for the community.

“We always work very hard to select the right fit for the agency and the community, which is critical in a small agency, particularly to make sure that the people we select understand the character of the community and what’s important in our agency,” he said.

Before coming to Dunbarton in 2003 as an executive officer, Connelly spent 10 years in Goffstown, where he rose through the ranks from patrolman to sergeant.

Prior to his employment with Dunbarton’s neighbor to the south, Connelly began his law enforcement career with the Hillsborough Police Department, where he worked for seven years as a deputy sheriff/sergeant.

Connelly holds a bachelor of science degree in organizational management and an associate of science degree in criminal justice.

He also graduated from the Command Training Program at the New England Institute of Law Enforcement at the University of Massachusetts and Leadership of Greater Concord Program.

In addition, Connelly attended the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Seminar and has obtained a professional development certificate from the Federal Emergency Management Institute.

Connelly, a member of the Goffstown Area Rotary Club, Goffstown Police Association and Dunbarton Police Association, is married with one son.

He spends his free time attending and watching hockey games, reading and biking.

Police chief retires

Bow Editor — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:53:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

After six years with the Dunbarton Police Department, Chief Jeff Nelson is retiring.

Nelson, who came to Dunbarton after 19 years with the Goffstown Police Department, had his resignation accepted by selectmen at their meeting on Thursday, March 15.

Chairman Mert Mann said he has seen first hand the positive effect Nelson has had on the town and is disappointed to see him go.

“I was there when we went from a part-time chief to a fulltime chief, and it really meant a lot to the town to get the right person,” said Mann. “Being such a small, quiet, laid-back community with growth all around us, we needed to make sure we got the right guy, and we did – the right guy was living right under our nose here in town.”

Mann said he expected Nelson to move on, but not this soon.

“We’re sad to let him go, but we wish him nothing but the best,” he said.

Nelson was the commander of investigative services with Goffstown police before arriving in Dunbarton in 2001 and is now leaving to accept a position as bureau chief in charge of administration with New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Services.

Nelson, who was a finalist for the position of director of Juvenile Justice Services, received an offer for the bureau chief position instead.

His last day as Dunbarton police chief will be Friday, March 30.

During Nelson’s time in Dunbarton, the department has evolved from one that staffed only three part-time positions to one that now has three full-time officers, six part-timers, and three auxiliary officers.

“The thing I’m most proud of is the people we’ve attracted and kept,” said Nelson. “All, but one person we currently have here have been hired by our administration, and I think the quality of those folks speaks for itself.”

“The people are what it’s all about,” he continued. “We’ve got great people in the department and great people supporting us in the community, so certainly the most enjoyable aspect, in the end, has been the people.”

In addition to staffing, Nelson said the department was also transformed by the process that led up to receiving national “recognition” from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

CALEA encourages departments to strive for excellence and work with the community to instill confidence and trust through meeting and exceeding professional standards.

To become the first police department in New Hampshire to receive CALEA recognition with part-time officers, Nelson brought all of his part-time officers up to full-time standards.

The process revolutionized the departments procedures in terms of record keeping, inventories and systems of checks and balances, said Nelson.

“It transformed us from a department with virtually very little resources to one that meets national standards,” he said. “To take a department that was really in difficult times and have turned it around to the point that it is CALEA recognized is really a credit to all those involved.”

After accomplishing many of his goals, Nelson said the time was right to leave.

“It’s important, when you’re in a leadership position, to know when it’s time to move on. I wanted to leave on a positive note, and at the right time,” he said.

“Some people can overstay their welcome, but I feel that you go in with certain intentions and once you’ve succeeded and met your goals, it’s time to start looking and let some fresh blood step in and continue to move the department in the right direction.”

Nelson said he expects executive officer Christopher Connelly, a four-year member of the department, to take over as chief.

“I think full (CALEA) accreditation is something that’s always been an ultimate goal, and I think Chris is moving in that direction and will continue to move in that direction once I’m gone.”

Still, Nelson said he is disappointed he won’t see other projects come to fruition, including an addition and renovation to the current public safety building, but is comfortable knowing Connelly is in the driver’s seat.

“I know those are great challenges and great possibilities for Chris, and I know he’s the right guy to achieve those goals,” said Nelson. “Certainly, he’s been the person that all along we’ve intended to take over the leadership position.”

Nelson said he has always taken the ideal of succession very seriously and brought in Connelly with the idea that he would one day serve as his replacement.