Chief of Police Charles L. Scherpa is pleased to announced the appointment of two new patrol officers to the Amherst Police Department. Hunter J. Guiles and Matthew R. Frydryk were appointed after an extensive selection process.
Hunter J. Guiles is originally from Hopatcong, New Jersey. He is a member of the United States Marine Corps, assigned to the Anti-Terrorism Security Team. He served in Iraq, Bahrain and Djibouti, Africa and Afganistan. . He concluded his active duty status with the Marine Corps in October, 2005 having advanced to the rank of Sergeant. He graduated from the Municipal Police Training Academy on April 24, 2008 and was the recipient of the Physical Training Award.
Matthew R. Frydryk, 22, is from Three Rivers, Massachusetts. He is a 2004 graduate of Palmer High School and a 2007 Graduate of Holyoke Community College where he obtained his Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. During this time he was employed as a civilian dispatcher for the Town of Hampden Police Department in addition to working as a University of Massachusetts Police Cadet. He graduated from Municipal Police Training Academy on April 24, 2008 and was the recipient of the Academic Award.

Weekend Activity Log 5/16 - 5/18

This past weekend, Amherst Police Officers responded to 245 calls for service, and 13 individuals were either arrested or will be summonsed into court on criminal charges.The primary offenses for which these persons are charged include:

Liquor Law Violations (including Possession of Alcohol under 21, Open Container) - 6 Persons

Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol - 2 Persons

Motor Vehicle Offenses – 1 Person

Disorderly Conduct – 1 Person

Assault and Battery- 1 Person

Outstanding Warrant - 1 Person

Larceny- 1 Person

Dispatchers Awarded

Two of our Dispatchers, Jason Rushford and Carly Kinnas, were selected as Dispatchers of the Year by the Northampton Elks Club. They each also received a Save Award certificate for their performance while on-duty during a swimming pool accident in Amherst last year. Both honors were presented to them at the annual Hampshire County EMS Awards Banquet held Thursday night in Northampton.

The Save Award was from an incident on May 28, 2007, when Dispatchers Rushford and Kinnas answered a 911 call from a young woman who stated that a four-year-old girl had fallen into the family pool and was unconscious and not breathing. They provided EMD (emergency medical dispatching) over the phone, and the child was conscious and breathing upon the arrival of the police and ambulance. The intervention of these trained, conscientious, and committed professional Dispatchers was largely responsible for the saving of a young life.

We are honored and fortunate to have Jason Rushford and Carly Kinnas in our Communications Center.

Operation Graduation 2008

This morning, Officers Lang and Corsetti, along with inspectors from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, conducted a Junior Operator License (JOL) education initiative at the Amherst Regional High School. The goal of the event, termed Operation Gradation, was to provide educational material to drivers regarding Junior Operator Law restrictions and to encourage seatbelt use. Inspectors also gathered data regarding the seatbelt and cell phone use of operators. Officers observed several seatbelt violations, and all involved were issued warnings for failure to wear their seatbelts. None of those vehicles stopped were in violation of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Junior Operator Law. This event will again be conducted in the future, and citations will be issued to all violators.

Free Firearms Locks

The Amherst Police Department is committed to keeping our community, and especially our children, safe. In an effort to accomplish this, we have partnered with Project ChildSafe to encourage gun owners to practice safe and responsible firearms ownership and storage through the distribution of firearms safety kits. Amherst residents may come by the Amherst Police Department at any time to obtain a free safety kit which includes a safety brochure that covers a variety of options for firearms storage and a free cable-style gun lock. Questions regarding the program may be forwarded to Sgt. Brian Daly at 413-259-3000.

No time? Report it Online.

The Amherst Police Department would like to remind our community that we are now accepting reports of minor crimes and incidents online. We recognize that citizens may not have time to wait for an officer to respond to their house, but they still may want to make us aware of a criminal or quality of life issue. We now accept online reports of larceny, identity theft, vandalism, hit and run motor vehicle accident, traffic complaint, lost property, annoying phone calls, homeland security tip or anonymous tip. All online reports will be reviewed by an Amherst Police Officer, and citizens will be e-mailed a copy of their approved report for insurance purposes. This is all free of charge. For more information, visit the Online Incident Report link of our website - http://www.amherstpd.org/.

Click It or Ticket

Chief Charles L. Scherpa is pleased to announce that the Amherst Police Department will conduct a mobilization titled “Click It or Ticket” from May 14th through June 4th, 2008. On selected dates and times during that period, additional Officers will be out and actively enforcing all Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Laws including, but not limited to, Seatbelt and Child Passenger restraint violations.

During fiscal year 2007, Amherst Police Officers issued 109 citations for seatbelt violations. Four citations were issued to drivers for child passenger restraint violations.

The Amherst Police Department conducts a Child Passenger Safety Checkpoint for Amherst residents on the third Saturday of each month by appointment only. Amherst residents should email the Amherst Police at police@amherstma.gov or call the Amherst Police Department Community Services Bureau at 413-259-3355 and leave a message to schedule a 30-minute appointment to have their child car seats inspected and installed properly.

The Amherst Police Department has received a $10,000 grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau to support its involvement in the 2007-2008 "Click It or Ticket" and "Drunk Driving - Over the Limit Under Arrest" campaigns. For more grant information, go to www.mass.gov/ghsb.

Missing 17-Year-Old

The Amherst Police Department is attempting to locate and check the well being of Kelly Hird, a seventeen-year-old Amherst resident. Kelly has been missing since April 17, 2008, and she may be headed to California in the company of an adult male. Kelly has light brown hair and hazel eyes. She is 5'7” tall and weighs approximately 135 pounds. Please call the Amherst Police Department at 413-259-3000 if you have any information that may be used to locate her. To submit an anonymous tip, click here.

Arrest Made In Armed Robbery

After a three-week investigation conducted by Detective Wise and the Amherst Police Detective Bureau, Justin Johns, 17, of Armory Street in Springfield, was arrested for the armed robbery that occurred on April 11, 2008, at 3:15 pm outside of the Cumberland Farms located at 23 Montague Rd. The victim, an 18-year-old employee of the University of Massachusetts, was in the parking lot when he was approached by Johns, who produced a knife and demanded money. The victim, who is from Montague, was not injured. There had been a warrant for Johns' arrest since April 17, 2008, and Johns turned himself in to the Amherst Police Department on Tuesday. He was brought to the Eastern Hampshire District Court where he was arraigned for Armed Robbery.

Child Passenger Safety Seat Inspections

Motor vehicle crashes pose a tremendous risk for children. In 2002, four children, ages 12 and under, were killed in Massachusetts as a result of motor vehicle crashes, and 98 received incapacitating injuries. When properly installed, child safety seats reduce the risk of death in a motor vehicle crash by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers. Safety belts reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a motor vehicle crash by up to 50%.

The Amherst Police Department will be conducting Child Passenger Car Seat inspections on the 3rd Saturday of each month. The next scheduled inspection day is Saturday, May 17th, 2008. Inspections are by appointment only and are only open to Amherst residents. During the inspection, our certified technicians will thoroughly inspect child passenger car seats for wear and effectiveness, and they will install seats properly to assure the safest ride for your children. To schedule a 30 minute appointment either e-mail the Amherst Police Department at police@amherstma.gov or call 413-259-3355.

Weekend Activity Log 5/2 - 5/4

This past weekend was the first of two annual spring "Hobart Hoedown" weekends. Amherst Officers responded to 328 calls for service, and 53 individuals were either arrested or will be summonsed into court on criminal charges.

The primary offenses for which these persons are charged include:
Liquor Law Violations (including Possession of Alcohol under 21, Open Container) - 19 Persons
Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol - 6 Persons
Noise Complaint (Town By-Law) - 9 Persons
Motor Vehicle Offenses – 1 Person
Disorderly Conduct – 1 Person
Possession of Class D (Marijuana) - 12 Persons
Domestic Assault and Battery- 2 Persons
Outstanding Warrant - 3 Persons

Lions, Tigers and BEARS! OH MY!!

Amherst Police took a number of phone calls yesterday morning, Tuesday, April 29, between 5:45 am and 8:00 am from residents in the area of Dana Street and Blue Hills Road concerning a large black bear that was walking around their backyards and fence lines. Officers responded to the area, and advised those out walking their dogs to stay out of the area for their own safety.
Officers observed a black bear, weighing more than 300 pounds, in the area of #48 Blue Hills Rd. that had knocked over a bird feeder and was simply snacking away. Sgt. Menard requested that the Environmental Police respond to the area due to the proximity of the bear to the homes and the downtown area. Environmental Police Officer Unaitis and Connecticut Valley Wildlife District Manager Ralph Taylor arrived in the area around 8:30 am. The large black bear was located at 10:40 am, and it was tranquilized so it could be moved to a safe location. The bear was soundly and safely sleeping approximately 15 minutes after being tranquilized. Officers were able to move the bear without incident.