Chief Scherpa Retires...

After 40 years of service to the law enforcement and Amherst community, Chief of Police Charlie Scherpa has retired effective tomorrow, July 1, 2009. Chief Scherpa, who began his career in Amherst in 1969, was appointed Captain in 1986 and Chief of Police in 2000. During his career, Chief Scherpa was dedicated to the men and women of the Amherst Police Department, fighting tirelessly to provide us with the staffing and equipment necessary to effectively and safely do our job. He expected a great deal from the Officers under his command, but he understood that helping us to safely make it home to our families every night was what we expected from him. He provided us with training and equipment so we could do just that. “Family First” is what he told us year after year. Thank you, Charlie Scherpa, for instilling in us the sense of community and tradition that makes us one of the best police departments in Massachusetts.

Molly Bish Ride 2009

The Amherst Police were on hand for the 10th Annual Molly Bish Remembrance Motorcycle Ride on Sunday, June 28th, 2009. The Amherst Police have escorted the ride all 10 years, and, this year, approximately 500 bikers were in attendance. According to the foundation's website, MollyBish.org, the Molly's Ride for Child Safety is one of the largest non-stop police escorted charity motorcycle rides in New England. The ride predominantly supports The Molly Bish Foundation & Life "Guards" Center, Inc. by the proceeds it generates each and every year. Members of the Motorcycle Unit at Amherst Police will continue to support such outstanding causes like the Molly Bish Ride for years to come.

Grantwood Drive Arrest

On June 27, 2009, at 8 am, Detectives from the Amherst Police Department executed a search warrant at 237 Grantwood Dr., in Amherst. The warrant application followed a response to the home just after midnight for a reported noise compliant where Officers observed evidence of illicit drug activity.

Arrested was Kyle J. Bishop, 20, of 18 Heritage Way, North Reading, MA. Bishop was identified as a resident of 237 Grantwood Dr., and he has been charged with the following criminal offenses:

Town By-Law Unlawful Noise
Possession/Cultivate to Distribute Class D (Marijuana)
Possession to Distribute Class B (Ecstasy)

Bishop is expected to be arraigned in the Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday, June 29, 2009. The matter remains under investigation, and it is expected that additional individuals will be charged criminally. Information regarding this case can be forwarded to Sergeant William Menard at 413-259-3015.

Is Your House Number Visible?

It's not something a person wants to think about, but what if an emergency were to occur at your home, and our police, ambulance, or fire truck needed to get to you in a hurry? Believe it or not, not every house in Amherst has a number showing. There are many examples of homes with numbers that are out of sight or difficult to read from the street.

The Amherst SALT Council (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together), with the Amherst Police and Fire Departments, can help. They have two-sided signs available that display 4-inch highly reflective numbers. The signs are attached to a 5-foot high metal stake and they can be installed near your driveway or walkway where they will be visible from the street. There is a nominal charge ($5.00) to help cover expenses and to keep the program going. Additional voluntary contributions are greatly appreciated as well.

The Amherst SALT Council already has a list of people who have requested to have a sign installed, so don’t wait to call and schedule yours today! To reach the Amherst SALT Council either call or visit the Senior Center, at the Bangs Community Center, at 70 Boltwood Walk. Their phone number is (413) 259-3060. See our website for other SALT programs.

Officer Injured During Arrest

On Saturday, June 20, 2009, at approximately 12:48 am, several Officers from the Amherst Police Department responded to an apartment complex in South Amherst for a reported disturbance. Officers discovered that the disturbance involved Benjamin Branch and a 26-year-old Amherst woman. The ensuing investigation revealed that Branch had assaulted her. (The woman's name is being withheld due to the disturbance being domestic in nature.) While Officers were arresting Branch, he became combative, requiring three Officers to subdue him. One of the arresting Officers was injured, a bone was broken in his hand, requiring him to be treated at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. He has since been released from CDH. Branch is expected to be arraigned Monday at the Eastern Hampshire District Court.

Benjamin Branch
81 Belchertown Road #77
Amherst, MA
Age 31

Charges: Assault & Battery, Resisting Arrest, Assault & Battery on a Police Officer

Amherst Police Receive 2008 MLEC Award

On June 16, 2009, the Amherst Police Department was presented the Award of Excellence in the Silver Category for participating in the Fourth Annual Massachusetts Law Enforcement Challenge. The Challenge is a joint initiative supported by the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association (MCOPA) and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).

The Amherst Police Department was recognized, along with the Massachusetts State Police and 15 additional municipal departments from across the state, at a ceremony held June 8, 2009, in Marlborough, MA. The award program recognized police departments from across the state for their traffic safety efforts to reduce motor vehicle-related fatalities, injuries and economic loss in communities by combining traffic enforcement with public information and education.

The Amherst Police Department was judged in six separate categories: Policy and Guidelines, Officer Training, Incentives and Recognition, Public Education and Information, Enforcement Activity, and Effectiveness of Effort. The award was based on the Department’s 2007 data and accomplishments which included citing a total of 2,312 drivers for speeding and arresting 117 individuals for Operating Under the Influence. In the same year, the Department investigated 1,016 motor vehicle crashes, 118 of which resulted in personal injury. Of the personal injury crashes, less than 2% were speed-related and less than 1% alcohol-related. The department did not investigate a single fatal motor vehicle accident in 2007. The low percentage of speed and alcohol-related crashes is a direct result of the commitment Officers of the Amherst Police Department have in enforcing traffic laws and ensuring the safety of the community.

July 4th Festivities

The official start of summer is less than a week away, and Independence Day is right around the corner, too. This year, the town's celebration is set for Saturday, July 4th, with festivities beginning at 5 pm at the UMass stadium, on University Drive. The fireworks show will be held at 9:30 pm. If it rains, the fireworks will be rescheduled for Sunday, July 5th. For more information, visit the town's website.

Enjoy the holiday, and, as always, the Amherst Police Department reminds you to celebrate responsibly!

Youth Adventure Academy, July 20 to 24!

The Amherst and University of Massachusetts Police Departments are pleased to announce the dates of the Amherst and UMass Police Youth Adventure Academy. The 2009 academy is a one-week program, held Monday, July 20th to Friday, July 24th, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Youths entering 6th, 7th, or 8th grade are eligible to attend. The academy is FREE, but size is limited to 20 youths, and preference will be given to Amherst residents and UMass affiliated families.

Similar to a Citizens Police Academy, students will attend morning classroom sessions held at both the Amherst and UMass Police Departments. The classroom sessions will feature lectures, role-plays, and interactive demonstrations by Police Officers from both agencies focusing in the areas of law, crime scene investigation, defensive tactics, patrol procedures, and Internet safety. Most afternoon sessions will be held at the Amherst Adventure Based Ropes Course, at the Norwottuck Range, where we will promote teamwork, communication, and strategy development.

Additional information concerning the Amherst and UMass Police Youth Adventure Academy is available on the Amherst Police Department's website at http://www.amherstpd.org/. Applications may be obtained at either the Amherst Police Department or UMass Police Department lobby or downloaded off of the APD website. The application deadline is June 25th, 2009, so please don’t delay!

Questions regarding the Youth Adventure Academy can be forwarded to either Amherst Police Officer Todd Lang at 413-259-3000 or langt@amherstma.gov or UMass Police Officer Brian Kellogg at 413-545-2121 or bkellogg@admin.umass.edu. This program is funded in part by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety’s Community Policing Grant Program.

Please Dial 911 For Emergencies Only

The Amherst Public Safety Communications Center would like to remind citizens that 911 is the number to call for immediate help from the Amherst Police or Fire Department including emergency medical service.

For non-emergency calls, including noise complaints, reports of stray or lost dogs, or to follow-up on an on-going case, the department's business line is 413-259-3000.

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Click here for a list of other important town phone numbers and extensions including the Town Hall and Department of Public Works.

Bicyclist Fatality

On May 25, 2009, at approximately 10:30 am, Officers from the Amherst Police Department responded to University Drive, in Amherst, for the report of a motor vehicle accident. Responding Officers learned that the accident involved a vehicle that struck a bicyclist. Specifics regarding the accident are not being released pending the completion of the investigation.

The bicyclist was transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The victim is a 34-year-old Amherst woman. Her identity is not being released pending notification of next of kin.

The matter remains under investigation by the Amherst Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Reconstruction Team. No arrests have been made at this time.

Click It or Ticket

The advice is basic: buckle up or pay the price, yet more than 30 percent of Massachusetts drivers still fail to buckle up according to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS). In our continued effort to increase seat belt use, the Amherst Police Department joins more than 230 other Massachusetts police departments and the Massachusetts State Police in support of the spring 2009 Click It or Ticket mobilization. This statewide effort runs through May 31 and combines extra, high visibility traffic enforcement, public information, and community outreach to reduce motor vehicle-related fatalities, injuries and economic loss.

For the spring Click It or Ticket mobilization, the EOPSS has provided $994,000 in federal highway safety funds. Since its first Click It or Ticket mobilization in 2002, Massachusetts has seen its seat belt use increase from 16% to 67% in 2008. However, Massachusetts still lags behind the 2008 national seat belt use rate of 83% and has the lowest belt use in the country.

During this mobilization, all police departments will encourage compliance with the state seat belt laws across the Commonwealth. For more information, go to www.mass.gov/highwaysafety.

MADD Drive for Life Law Enforcement Award

On May 13, 2009, Amherst Police Officers Dominick A. Corsetti and Scott E. Gallagher were recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for their dedicated enforcement of the Commonwealth's drunk driving laws.

The most frequently committed violent crime in the United States is drunk driving which affects 3 out of every 10 Americans. In 2007, 146 people in the Commonwealth were killed in drunk driving accidents, representing 35% of all traffic fatalities in Massachusetts. This year MADD honored 113 police officers and state troopers who made over 2,155 drunk driving arrests in 2008. This averaged out to approximately 6 drunk driving arrests daily. These officers demonstrated their commitment to ensuring the safety of our roadways by diligently pursuing drunk drivers.

Officers Corsetti and Gallagher were the recipients of MADD’s Drive for Life Law Enforcement Award. This award was presented to selected police officers from across the state for their excellence and leadership in the enforcement of Drunk Driving Laws. The ceremony honoring the officers was held at the Devens Common Center in Devens, MA.

Together, Officers Corsetti and Gallagher made 42 of the Amherst Police Department’s 117 OUI arrests in 2008. This high number of arrests demonstrates their commitment to enforcing drunk driving and other Massachusetts alcohol-related offenses.

For further information, please contact Sergeant William N. Menard or go to The Mothers Against Drunk Driving website.