Goffstown News : Crime

Teen shot on College Road

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:39:00 GMT

BY STEPHEN BEALE Police are still investigating the shooting of a Manchester teen outside of a College Road home where his girlfriend was visiting her former boyfriend. Sean Scadding, 19, of Manchester, was shot in the leg on Tuesday, Oct. 21. Scadding...(read more)

Gunfire – Man accused of shooting gun shuts down portion of Goffstown

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:27:00 GMT

BY MICHELLE KIM A Goffstown man who escaped into the woods for several hours after a domestic argument involving gunfire was caught without incident at a Manchester residence on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Joseph Nolin, 36, and a female resident of Church Street...(read more)

Police see increase in burglaries

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:26:00 GMT

BY DAVE CHOATE Burglaries are up from the first six months last year in Goffstown, but the Police Department said that probably isn’t a cause for alarm. During his presentation at the selectmen’s meeting, Chief Michael French informed the...(read more)

Goffstown has 19 thefts in one night

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:07:00 GMT

BY DAVE CHOATE Thieves stole valuables from at least 19 cars on and around Main Street on Sunday, July 22, according to the Goffstown Police Department. Police Capt. Michael Sullivan said police currently have no suspects in the thefts, which appear to...(read more)

Busted – Goffstown PD joins federal marshals in arrest

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 19:48:00 GMT

BY DAVE CHOATE A former town resident has been arrested and charged by Washington state authorities with conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. John Hien Nguyen was arrested on July 10 on Holly Street in Goffstown after driving across the country from Everett,...(read more)

Homeless 18-year-old jailed for burglary

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:57:00 GMT

BY STEVEN ANDREWS A burglary of no more than $100 from the Junior Baseball concession stand has resulted in a homeless Goffstown teen being held on $10,000 cash bail at Valley Street jail in Manchester. Curtis Ayer, 18, was arrested at 9 p.m. on Tuesday,...(read more)

Vandals strike 3 stores

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 30 May 2007 17:48:00 GMT

Police are investigating a series of vandalism incidents which damaged property at three Goffstown businesses. The D’Angelo sub shop at 649 Mast Road, as well as the Village Eatery and Sully’s Superette on Main Street were damaged, in the...(read more)

Paying the price – Mass. man faces 30 years for alleged trip to Goffstown to meet child for sex

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 16 May 2007 20:28:00 GMT

BY ROD HANSEN A man who allegedly trekked from Massachusetts to Goffstown to have sexual relations with a local child faces up to 30 years in prison for the charge. Frank Emery, 23, of Stoneham, Mass., was arraigned May 10 in United States District Court...(read more)

Drugs cited in arson

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:50:00 GMT

BY ROD HANSEN A local youth accused of felony arson charges in connection with recent house and vehicle fires was intoxicated and high on large quantities of cough medication at the time of the alleged crimes, according to court records. Robert Audette,...(read more)

Hard time - Goffstown woman faces 17-and-a-half years in prison

Goffstown Editor — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 15:01:00 GMT

BY ROD HANSEN A local woman will spend nearly two decades in prison after pleading guilty on several charges relating to a 2006 Manchester shooting that left one man paralyzed from the waist down. Tay Lynn Woods, 23, of Goffstown, was sentenced on felony...(read more)

Crime is up but police budget is kept down

Goffstown Editor — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 19:44:00 GMT

By Rod Hansen
Staff Writer

Despite a rising number of criminal incidents in Goffstown, Police Chief Michael French has requested no new personnel and only a 1 percent increase in his budget for next year.

From drunk driving to domestic violence, computer crime to juvenile offenses, Goffstown has seen statistics on criminal activity increase substantially over the past year, he said.

French presented selectmen and budget committee members with his budget proposal during the selectmen’s meeting of Monday, Sept. 25.

This year’s budget for police operations totals $3,064,244. French spoke of no major projects for the coming year that would affect his budget requests.

“Our goal is to maintain the level of service the people have come to expect from us,” French said.

The department consists of 42 full-time employees, including 30 sworn officers and 26 part-time employees, French said.

He cited a number of grim statistics facing the police force this year, including nearly 100 more assault cases, an increase in the severity of juvenile offenses and arrests, more burglaries, criminal mischief and arrests for driving while intoxicated.

“The good news, if there is any good news in these graphs, is that motor vehicle crashes are down, and accidents resulting in personal injury are down,” French said. He attributed that decrease to officers’ strict enforcement of speed limits through town.

French said there have been some salary increases to sworn and non-sworn officers, plus rising overtime costs. Some events demanding overtime included investigations, court appearances, holiday pay and police service at town events.

French said there was a substantial amount of overtime accrued during the May floods, but he said the department attempted to control expenses by using salaried personnel as often as possible.

For example, French said he recalled attorney Kerry Steckowych manning a traffic post at 2 a.m. one Sunday during the height of the emergency.

Plans for station improvements this year include $4,000 for construction of a gated impound lot outside the station. That lot would measure 20-by-25 feet on an area of police department property that is now gravel, French said. The vehicles would be covered by tarps, as constructing an indoor garage for the vehicles would have been cost prohibitive, he said.

The budget also includes a $65,000 line item for fuel expenses, calculated at $2.25 per gallon for a fleet traveling 300,000 miles per year.

Capital expenditures for the department includes $119,000 for police vehicles, comprising three used Ford Crown Victorias to be used as police cruisers and one Chevy Blazer for use as an animal control vehicle.

The Capital Improvements Program also lists $44,544 for improvements to police communications software. The communications department provides dispatch services for Goffstown, New Boston and Weare, and is currently running software approximately seven years old, French said.

Before presenting his budget overview, French presented selectmen with an award from Volunteer New Hampshire recognizing the efforts of the Community Emergency Response Team during the May floods.