Historical Perspective

1991-1996

In 1991, the department conducted a study on the feasibility of the implementation of a community policing approach in Manchester. One aspect of the study was an analysis of the total number of police service calls and the locations for those calls.

This analysis found that 53% of the department's total calls for services were directed to the "downtown" area, which contained approximately 22% of the town's population. In other words, one-quarter of the town's population drew more than half the police services. It was decided that the best approach to utilize, in its first step to applying a community policing philosophy in Manchester, would be a pilot program in the Eastside, or Spruce Street neighborhood. Two officers, John Wilson and Joseph San Antonio, were selected as "police area representatives" or PAR officers, and they began "walking the beat" in August 1992.

On May 13, 1993, during National Police Week, the name of William F. Madden was added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. This recognition of Madden, who was killed in 1919, was the direct result of the efforts of Department Historian Officer Josh Searle and Officer Michael Swetzes. Their research had dispelled the confusion about Madden's status (police officer or security guard) at the time of his murder, and proved that he was a sworn officer with powers of arrest under the existing town charter and ordinances when he was killed in the line of duty.

In 1993, Manchester was awarded a grant under the Department of Justice Police Hiring Supplement Program and two officers, Alan Young and Bruce Chaput, were selected as police area representatives for the "Westside" neighborhood. Sergeant Gary Benson, who had been instrumental in the planning and implementation of this community policing pilot program, was assigned as the supervisor for the PAR officers. The Westside PAR officers began in March 1994.

The department's officers were issued a new uniform in May 1994. A dark blue uniform replaced the dark blue pants and gray shirts, which had been the department uniform for decades. At the same time, a new shoulder patch was issued, which replaced the 1966 Mulberry Tree patch. This new patch shows the Hop Brook Mill (built in 1838 as the silk mill of the Cheney Brothers factory), and a Mulberry Tree (whose leaves were the primary food of silkworms.).

Between 1988 and 1994, there were four separate studies on the question of a new police facility. the conclusion of all four studies was that the current facility was antiquated and woefully inadequate. The final study proposed a two-story structure, designed to be compatible with the neighborhood, to replace the existing facility on the same site.
On Tuesday, November 8, 1994, the electors of Manchester were asked to vote on Referendum Question #1: Shall the Town appropriate an amount not to exceed $7,875,000 to pay for the construction of a police facility at 239 East Middle Turnpike, Manchester and demolition of the existing facility to be financed by general obligation bonds and notes of the Town?"

The voters of Manchester passed Referendum Question #1 by a 2 to 1 margin (10,768 "yes" votes to 4,927 "no" votes). The ground-breaking ceremony for the new police facility was held on September 28, 1995.

In 1995, a new civilian position, called Police Services Aide (PSA) was created to handle the routine activities being performed by sworn officers. The purpose of this position was to enable the sworn officers to remain "on the street" instead of at Headquarters doing paperwork. The first two PSAs were Susan Lowry, hired in July, and Thomas O'Connor, hired in September.

In 1995, the Manchester Police was awarded funding under two new grant programs implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice-Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The COPS AHEAD (Accelerated Hiring, Education, and Deployment) grant provided $225,000 for the partial funding of three new officers. The COPS MORE (Making Officer Redeployment Effective) grant provided $302,421 for funding four civilian Police Services Aide positions ($95,511) and a Mobile Data System ($206,910).

In 1996, the Department, which had experimented with a canine unit in 1958/59, purchased a German shepherd and implemented a new canine program. Officer Gary Minor was selected as the canine handler for Veko. They began their specialized training in January 1996 and started patrol on March 31, 1996.

In 1995 there were a total of 62,577 calls for service handled by Manchester's officers. Of those, 10,362 were investigations and 2,646 were criminal arrests. There were 2,323 motor vehicle accidents investigated and 5,836 motor vehicle arrests. The total mileage patrolled by department cruisers was 602,000 miles.

The police budget for Fiscal year 1996/1997 was $10,204,060. The authorized strength of the department was 113 sworn officers and 34 1/2 civilian employees. The police fleet consisted of 62 vehicles.

The Manchester Police Department celebrated its 100th Anniversary on October 5, 1996. It is unknown what law enforcement will be like in the next millennium. If the past 100 years are indicative of the future, many changes will occur. It will be an exciting challenge for the men and women who are fortunate to become members of the Manchester Police Department.