New Boston News : police

New Boston Police adopt new alert system

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:10:00 GMT

In an effort to keep residents more informed about safety issues in town, the New Boston Police Department has adopted a communications network called Nixle.

This federally backed program sends residents text or e-mail alerts regarding road closures, accidents, burglaries and other criminal activity in the area, and cautionary messages.

“It improves our efforts on solving crimes, because there’s more eyes out there,” said New Boston Police Chief Chris Krajenka.

Krajenka has been working since August to get this 17program running in the Police Department, and he is now working with the school and Fire Department to get them on board as well.

Krajenka said the program would be important in the school, as it would give alerts about missing children, early school closings and other emergencies.

It may be another three or four months before the school and Fire Department are on board with the network, but Krajenka said so far, the response about this program has been positive.

“The Goffstown Police Department has been using it, and it’s been a success,” said New Boston Police Chief Chris Krajenka.

Residents can choose to get alerts from other towns as well, depending what they choose as their alert coverage area. The program is free, and residents can sign up by visiting www.nixle.com and following the prompts on the main page.

New Boston Police acquire Tasers

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:34:00 GMT

BY STEPHEN BEALE

At the end of a three-day binge of drugs and alcohol, an angry former lumberjack was confronted by police, and only one thing stood between them – a Taser gun fired by a state police trooper.

The confrontation was triggered by a call to police on Christmas Eve a year ago when a man allegedly pulled a shotgun on his mother and brother. When local police arrived, a New Boston officer who knew the man tried to talk him down. At the very last second, the man was going to charge the officer, when Chief Christopher Krajenka nodded to the trooper to take him down with a Taser.

Since the man did not have the shotgun with him at the time, the officer would not have used a gun to defend himself. Without the Taser, police would have had to wrestle the man under control.

“That sold me, when I observed that, the fact that I can cut liability with regard to injuries,” Krajenka said. “All of us can get our butt kicked. We’re all human. We’re not invincible and knowing that I’ve got officers out there with a weapon that could protect them and keep them from getting injured, I couldn’t be happier.”

The week before Thanksgiving, the New Boston Police Department got its own set of eight Taser guns at a cost of $13,000. There are 126 departments with Tasers in New Hampshire, but New Boston is one of the first smaller ones to acquire the weapons, according to Police Chief Chris Krajenka.

The Tasers New Boston officers carry with them have been substituted for pepper spray, a messy and inefficient way of bringing down a suspect that usually affects all those in the vicinity, including the officer, Krajenka said. There also is a potential fire hazard if the Taser were somehow to ignite the spray.

So far, New Boston officers have not had to fire or even draw them. Given how painful the experience can be, wouldbe assailants tend be less likely to challenge officers. Once they see the red laser sight aimed at them, they tend to become “very cooperative,” Krajenka said. The Tasers also can be easily distinguished from guns by their yellow color, which police will continue to carry.

Though less lethal than a gun, Tasers are not necessarily less painful. The weapon fires two small dartlike electrodes, which stay connected to the main unit by conductive wire.

During training, Krajenka said he and another officer experienced what it was like to be on the business end of a Taser.

“It’s the most excruciating thing I’ve been through. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” he said. “All of us were like, ‘Nice experience, but once in a lifetime.’”

Police drop charge against Mont Vernon chief

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:54:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

The New Boston Police Department has dropped a restraining order violation charge against Mont Vernon’s police chief, and has issued a public statement apologizing for arresting him.

Mont Vernon Police Chief Alexander “Rick” Brougham, 43, is a New Boston resident whom police said allegedly violated the terms of an ex-parte court order by Hillsborough County Superior Court.

New Boston police initially alleged Brougham called his exwife on the phone on the evening of May 27, a violation of the court order’s conditions, said New Boston Police Chief Christopher Krajenka shortly after the arrest.

The violation amounted to a class B misdemeanor, punishable by a fine.

According to Goffstown District Court records, the New Boston Police Department officially dropped the case Friday, June 27.

A public statement issued by Chief Krajenka of New Boston Police Department apologized for arresting and charging Brougham, stating he had not broken the terms of the court order.

“The town of New Boston Police Department sincerely apologizes to Mont Vernon Police Chief Alexander Brougham and his family for any inconvenience it may have caused the chief, his family members and professional associates,” the statement said.

“In response to a citizen complaint which alleged that, Alexander Brougham violated a court order by making a telephone call, the New Boston Department determined that Chief Brougham had not violated the court order,” it continued.

Brougham has been on paid leave since the Mont Vernon Board of Selectmen voted unanimously at their meeting on Monday, June 2, to take him off the job pending the results of a criminal investigation. Officer Aaron Daigneault was named interim chief.

“For the best for the town and himself, he’s on paid leave,” said Mont Vernon Board of Selectmen Chairman Jack Esposito days after the vote. “We’ve made no decision at all either way.”

Esposito said Brougham has been police chief in Mont Vernon for three years, having been employed as an officer in the department before rising to the rank of chief.

There is no word on whether Brougham has returned to work, or, if not, when he will be able to do so.

In their statement, New Boston police directed all questions to attorney Charles Bauer, who was not available by press time.

The Mont Vernon and New Boston police departments offered no comments on the dropped charge.

Finance Committee approves two full-time police positions

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:43:00 GMT

By Michelle Kim

NEW BOSTON – The departure of yet another New Boston police officer may have opened the door for the Police Department to eventually meet its basic scheduling needs.

And that news has Chief Chris Krajenka elated.

At the Jan. 5 meeting, the Finance Committee decided to approve Krajenka’s request for a new full-time officer and also to turn a 32-hour part-time position into a full-time position as well.

“I’m extremely enthused,” said Krajenka. “I was absolutely floored. I was expecting to have to go in there and really fight for that one position.”

Krajenka said the departure of part-time officer Joe Fussell, whose last day with the department was Jan. 6, helped convince the committee of the difficulty of finding and holding onto qualified part-time officers.

“The Finance Committee and selectmen have worked to bring the pay up, but I don’t think we’ll ever be able to compete with other towns,” said Krajenka.

Fussell was sworn into the Weare Police Department during the Weare Board of Selectmen’s meeting Monday, Jan. 7.

“We had gotten very lucky,” said committee member Brandy Mitroff. “The probability of finding another part-time person that could work those hours is slim to none.” She said the Finance Committee wanted to give Krajenka more flexibility in his hiring choices.

Since it would take some time to find another qualified candidate, the position could be made full-time using the same amount of salary already budgeted for the year’s part-time position, Town Administrator Burton Reynolds explained. The only additional cost would be the benefits offered. Reynolds said he is still working on the final figures for the Police Department’s operating budget.

Krajenka estimated, with the newly requested officer and the additional eight hours from having a full-time instead of part-time position, that his department would be able to cover calls from 5 a.m. until 2 a.m. during the busy weekends on Thursday, Friday and Saturday instead of just until 11 p.m. The department currently covers 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. during the week and weekend, but has large gaps because of the lack of available officers.

“(The committee) realized the importance of needing that additional body. It’s going to take a lot of stress off the individual officer and myself and the sergeant,” said Krajenka.

The overall operating budget will go on the warrant before voters for this year’s deliberative session on Feb. 4 and at the March election.

New Boston Year in review 2007

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

BY MICHELLE KIM

For many residents in Goffstown, Weare and New Boston, 2007 had a strong a sense of deja vu. Few would have thought a 100-year flood would happen two years in a row. But it did.

Here’s a look at a few events in New Boston:
Rose Meadow Farm, a residential care facility for clients 18 and older with brain and spinal cord injuries, opened up a second facility on Bedford Road, called Rose Meadow Gardens, with 13 more openings.

A fire broke out in January at 114 Pine Road, the home of Kelsiey Nippe and Jerrod Poliquin, who were awakened by the sound of their smoke detector. The Fire Department was able to locate and put out the fire before any significant structural damage was caused.

At the March Town Meeting elections, voters accepted the $3.4 million operating budget, a 9 percent increase over the previous year’s operating budget, and approved almost all the warrant articles, except for an article seeking money for a footbridge connecting the central village to the south commercial district, despite a heated campaign by the article’s proponents.

The article would have required $30,000 from the town and acquired the other $120,000 through state grants.

Voters returned six-year incumbent selectman and board Chairman Dave Woodbury over challenger Kim DiPetro.

The school operating budget of $9.4 million, which was close to the default level, easily passed, as did articles for a new teacher contract requiring about $120,000 in new spending. A $33,000 article to conduct a study on expanding the New Boston Central School that had sparked discussion at the deliberative session also passed.

Also during March, New Boston part-time resident Richard Hawes, 65, of Friendly Beaver Campground, who pled guilty to trafficking pornographic photos of his 2-year-old granddaughter, was sentenced in Concord District Court to 10 years in prison.

The floods from the April 15 and 16 nor’easter brought worse damage to local roads than 2006’s Mother’s Day floods, according to Police Chief Chris Krajenka. The main thoroughfares of Route 13, Route 136, Route 77 and Bedford Road were all closed, and several families were displaced from their homes, with about five staying overnight at the emergency shelter set up by the Greater Manchester Red Cross at the Central school.

Small brooks and streams became raging torrents that overflowed their banks and destroyed the pavement, and clear cutting 40 acres of forest for construction off of Bedford Road caused rushing waters to undermine a 12-foot section of the road. Gov. John Lynch visited the police station April 17. In all, there was about $400,000 worth of damage, according to Town Administrator Burton Reynolds.

New Boston was one of nine counties declared federal disaster areas, making it eligible for FEMA aid. FEMA representatives toured the area in June.

Reynolds said the town would apply for FEMA and state aid, which should reimburse about 88 percent of the damage. The Mother’s Day floods made the town much more familiar with applying for aid, he said.

The school district applied for a waiver for the time it missed because of flood-damaged roads that prevented school buses from getting to Central or to the Goffstown schools.

In May, builder Aaron Fielder was arrested in Londonderry and charged with felony forgery after he allegedly forged the certificate of occupancy for a $365,000 Hutchinson Lane home after it failed to pass inspection by the town building inspector. The Hutchinson Lane subdivision was being built by Front Line construction in New Boston.

Water from River Road Spring, a popular local landmark on Route 13, was declared unsafe after detection of an abnormal level of coliform bacteria, a naturally occurring organism that probably came from the flooding run-off water, according to health officer Shannon Silver.

Selectmen hosted information sessions on the transfer station April 30 and in July. The town achieved its goal of 40 percent recycling in May and discussed ways to increase that rate, such as an incentive program for haulers.

The Board of Selectmen adopted a new energy conservation policy in July to look for practical ways to save energy within the town’s means.

The Fourth of July celebration introduced rock climbing, in addition to the traditional favorites of mud volleyball, fiddler’s contest, chicken barbecue, parade and fireworks.

In September, the 50th anniversary Hillsborough County Fair went on despite heat and rain that reduced its attendance by half. The fireworks were canceled, but everything else continued as planned. Peter Carter of Goffstown won the giant pumpkin contest with a gourd weighing 1,101 pounds. The same pumpkin had won the grand prize at the Rochester Fair.

In August, Dave Woodbury donated a 100-year-old railroad passenger car he had been renovating for the last 15 years to the Contoocook Riverway Association to put on display.

The New Boston Police Department saw staff changes with the resignation of officer Josh Woehl and, after a long search, the hiring of a new candidate to be sent to the police academy.

A study conducted by the former police chief concluded the department needed 10 officers to function at full capacity; the department currently has four full-time officers, including the chief, and one part-time officer.

Chief Chris Krajenka put in a request for an additional officer for the 2008 budget, which would bring the number of spots for sworn officers to eight. The budget proposal also included a request for eight Tasers.

A delegation of teachers from Iceland visited the New Boston Central School in October to observe the Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) program as part of a three-day trip to New Hampshire. The teachers swapped ideas with New Boston teachers and presented the Central School with a book and a flag from their school.

The New Boston Climate and Energy Committee organized a fair in November to promote awareness of climate change and energy efficiency in conjunction with a nationwide series of events called “Step It Up.” In the second half of the event, local politicians answered residents questions in a forum on policy, incentives and ideas on climate change.

The property tax rate for 2007 decreased 8.4 percent, despite a doubling of the town portion of the tax, mostly because of a larger than expected adequacy education grant that lowered the school portion of the tax. The overall rate was $14.02 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Also in November, an enormous barn fire on a Bunker Hill Road barn killed 125 goats trapped inside, many of which were pregnant and due soon. The property and goats were owned by Steve Caggiano.

At one point, up to 75 firefighters from 10 different communities were fighting the barn fire, side house fire and spot brush fires. The cause of the fire is unknown but not suspicious.

A survey and architectural study concluded expanding the New Boston Central School to possibly bring back grades 7 and 8 would take up too much parking and playground space.

Only $3,000 of the $33,000 granted in the warrant article was used and the rest will be returned to the town, according to Principal Rick Matthews.

Woman dies in New Boston car accident

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:28:00 GMT

On Friday, Oct. 26, at approximately 4:20 p.m., officers of the New Boston Police Department responded to a motor vehicle accident on Francestown Road west of Tucker Mill Road. A Chevy Blazer driven by 48-year-old Cynthia Comely of Francestown was traveling west on Francestown Road when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree.

She was transported by the Fire Department personnel to CMC where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. Police do not believe alcohol or drugs were a factor.

On Thursday, Oct. 25, at approximately 6:45 a.m., officers of the New Boston Police Department responded to a vehicle and pedestrian accident on Meetinghouse Hill Road at the intersection of River Road. A 17-year-old male was struck while crossing the street by a Ford Ranger pick-up driven by 59-year-old Bernard Graves, also of New Boston. He was transported by the Fire Department personnel to CMC for undisclosed injuries.

There will be a public town workshop sponsored by the Department of Transportation on Nov. 17, to discuss how to make the village area safer. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Police say more officers needed – New Boston operates at less than half force

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 21:30:00 GMT

BY DAVE CHOATE

When officer Josh Woehl resigned recently, he left behind more than his badge and his gun. He left a police department facing one of its most persistent problems, one that hangs over every skeleton shift and late night call: understaffing.

Police Chief Chris Krajenka said the department currently has four full- time officers and one part-time officer. A study conducted by a former department police chief concluded that the department should have 10 officers to function at full capacity, which hints that New Boston’s current force is operating at less than half its optimal number of officers.

“It hurts severely, and I myself have come back in several nights to deal with things that have gone on over the last week (Aug. 12). I would like to have the townspeople know how hard our officers are working for them,” Krajenka said.

The understaffing has as much to do with time as with money. Krajenka said he is currently looking at three candidates for the opening left by Woehl’s departure and a new open position authorized by the town.

The lengthy nature of the process is familiar to small town police forces, but Krajenka said it can still be frustrating when help is needed immediately.

“It is what it is. The system is established and background and psychological testing has to be done to weed out nonviable candidates. But if we hire an officer in December, they have to start the academy in January and will be gone for 14 weeks, which takes us into mid-March. Then there’s a six-week field training program from there that would take until June,” Krajenka said.

The paradox is a difficult one for a small department. New Boston is not a town riddled with crime problems. Nonetheless, the 2000 census placed the population at 4,138 people, meaning there is less than one full-time officer for every 1,000 town residents.

Krajenka recounted the last recruiting effort in June, which began with 11 candidates and was eventually pared down to 0 through background, physical and psychological testing. The recruiting effort has begun anew, and Krajenka said he’s hopeful to have replacement candidates soon.

New Boston Town Administrator Burton Reynolds said the Police Department’s struggles are systemic of a small town. He said the town will consider adding another new officer position during budget season but will have to balance the needs of other departments on a limited budget.

“We try to be forward-looking and take action step by step. We can’t predict what will happen until budget time, and maybe we’ll be able to attend to everything. But if it’s not possible, we’ll have to make some decisions,” Reynolds said.

Realistically, the chief said he knows he won’t have a full force of 10. What Krajenka said he really wants is enough officers to cover the increased call volume and crime the evenings and weekends can bring.

“I’d like to cover my shifts with no gaps, and with a minimum of two officers on duty at night for safety’s sake,” he said. “The town is making great strides in changing this, and though I wish it could be a little faster, I understand we can’t burden the taxpayers. But what I can promise is that we’re giving those taxpayers the best possible service we can provide.”

Drugs, assault lead to three arrests

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:18:00 GMT

BY DAVE CHOATE

An odd series of calls from a residence in New Boston led police to arrest three people on separate charges on Monday, Aug. 13.

Police responded twice to calls from 252 Bunker Hill Road, the first of which led to the arrest of 23-year-old Robert Clukay on multiple warrants, in and out of state, and additional charges of resisting detention and drug possession.

New Boston Police Chief Chris Krajenka said Clukay attempted to run, and when he was caught by officers he was found with marijuana.

Officers were called back later that same day for what Krajenka said sounded like “a major incident” which turned out to be a domestic disturbance.

Police arrested 42-year-old Heidi Akerman for simple assault, criminal mischief and obstructing the report of a crime, and Krajenka said the disturbance appeared to stem from the earlier arrest of Clukay.

Officers then continued to investigate the address on suspicion of drugs and found a store of hallucinogenic mushrooms and drug paraphernalia. Police arrested 19-year-old Jenessa Manion of Astoria, Ore., and charged her in connection with the crime.

Both Clukay and Manion were charged with possession of the drugs and sent to the Valley Street Jail in Manchester. Clukay’s numerous warrants appeared to be mostly due to probation violations in New Hampshire and around the country.

Akerman was released from prison on personal recognizance bail.

Krajenka said he was the supervisor on call for the second incident which netted Akerman and Manion. He said that there were other people at the residence who were not arrested, but admitted it was an odd occurence.

“It was a pretty wild night, unfortunately,” he said.

Builder busted for forging documents

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:03:00 GMT

BY SUSAN WARE

When the new owners of 32 Hutchinson Lane moved into their just-built Colonial home on April 24, they had an occupancy certificate in hand.

Little did they know that their certificate of occupancy from builder Aaron Fielder was a fake, according to police.

On April 19, just days before the closing, the $365,000 home had failed to pass inspection by town building inspector Edward Hunter.

When Hunter showed up weeks later to reinspect the home, he discovered the new owners living there.

Derry District Court documents charge Fielder, 38, of 23 Welch Road, Londonderry, with felony forgery.

According to Londonderry police Capt. Bill Hart, Fielder, who is president of Front Line Construction, Londonderry, copied an occupancy permit for another home on Hutchinson Lane and altered it.

Fielder appeared in Derry District Court on June 20 and is scheduled to appear for a probable cause hearing on July 16.

According to Hart, Fielder was arrested on May 29 in Londonderry, where the closing for 32 Hutchinson Lane had occurred and the forged document was passed. Fielder was released on $3,000 personal recognizance bail.

Hutchinson Lane is a 14- home subdivision being built by Front Line Construction in New Boston. The homes are being built in nine different styles ranging in price from $329,900 to $404,900.

Pam Charron, a real estate agent with Prudential Verani, Bedford, is listing the subdivision. When contacted, Charron had no comment.

Fielder was previously arrested in September 2006 and charged with simple assault. According to Hart, he received a 90-day sentence to be served in the House of Correction. The sentence was deferred one year.

Police: Damage much more substantial than 2006

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 19:29:00 GMT

BY ROD HANSEN

The storms of April 15 and 16 caused worse damage to local roads than last year’s Mother’s Day floods, according to the local police chief.

“The damage was much more substantial than last year, and we’ve lost areas where we never, ever had a problem before,” said Police Chief Chris Krajenka.

His remarks came after a period when rushing waters wrought severe damage to several local roadways. During the evening commute of Monday, April 16, Krajenka said all major thoroughfares leading into town were closed.

“It is true that for a time there we were like an island,” Krajenka said.

Major road closures at the time included Route 13, Route 136, Route 77 and Bedford Road, as well as several local roads, Krajenka said.

Some families were also displaced from their homes, with three staying at an emergency shelter the Greater Manchester Red Cross established at New Boston Central School, Krajenka said.

He commended the staff at the town’s emergency operations center in the police station, which included personnel from the police, fire and public works departments, as well as community volunteers helping answer phones and assisting with traffic points.

At the height of the emergency, the majority of calls into the operations center involved residents calling to find out how they could get home, Krajenka said.

Board of selectmen Chairman Christine Quirk manned the emergency operations center during the emergency, while Selectman Gordon Carlstrom spent the day with Road Agent John Riendeau, the chief said.

Gov. John Lynch visited the police station on April 17, and Krajenka spoke of the need for the state to revisit its storm water runoff regulations.

Some of the most severe damage of the storm could be traced to the clear-cutting of 40 acres of forest to make way for construction off of Bedford Road, Krajenka said.

Loose branches and other forest debris clogged a culvert in the area of town known as Foxbury Run, ultimately causing the rushing water to undermine a 12-foot section of Bedford Road.

“When something like that happens, you can say that clear-cutting is affecting the operations of this town,” Krajenka said.

On the morning of Wednesday, April 18, roads remaining closed included River Road north into Goffstown, Gregg Mill Road, Hooper Hill Road and sections of Bunker Hill Road, Thornton Road Bog Road, Tucker Mill Road, Butterfield Mill, while McCollum and Dennison roads are passable only by four-wheel drive, according to Police Sgt. Frank Kochanek.

About two dozen roads were closed in neighboring Weare on April 16, although all of them had been opened by the following afternoon.

Major roads closed during the storm included River Road, South Stark Highway, Twin Bridge Road and Deering Center Road, said Police Chief Greg Begin.

The town’s schools closed early on Monday, with Center Woods Elementary School and Weare Middle School opening the following day after a two-hour delay, and John Stark Regional High School remaining closed.

“For us, it was a lot like it was last year, because we had problems in the same places as we did last year,” Begin said.

Local man gets 10 years for child porn

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:50:00 GMT

BY ROD HANSEN

A local man who pleaded guilty to trafficking pornographic photos of his 2-year-old granddaughter has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the crime.

Richard Hawes, 65, who lives part of the year at the Friendly Beaver Campground, was arrested in June 2005 after an employee of CVS Pharmacy on S. Willow Street in Manchester reported a customer developing pornographic images of a child at a film kiosk in the store.

A CVS employee in Nashua made a similar report around the same time.

An investigation by both departments showed the photographs were of the same child. Local attempts to identify the person who developed the photos were unsuccessful, but a segment on the national “Good Morning America” program on June 8, 2005, helped identify the child.

A relative saw non-explicit pictures of the child on the program and notified her parents, who were in Florida.

Following the parents’ call to police, Hawes was arrested by Manchester police officers at the Friendly Beaver Campground.

He took the photos while visiting relatives in Winterpark, Fla., in March 2005, and told police he had given his granddaughter a bath and became “fascinated” with her.

Hawes received his sentence in United States District Court in Concord on March 21.

Following his release from prison, he will be placed on federal probation for the remainder of his life, and will also be required to register as a sex offender anywhere he lives.