After nearly a five-year odyssey, the Franklin Police Department is pleased to announce the department was awarded Accreditation by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC). Accreditation is a self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain standards that have been established for the profession, by the profession. These carefully selected standards reflect critical areas of police management, operations and technical support activities. They cover areas such as policy development, emergency response planning, training, communications, property and evidence handling, use of force, vehicular pursuit, prisoner transportation, and holding facilities. The program not only sets standards for the law enforcement profession, but also for the delivery of police services to citizens. On October 26, 2022, the Franklin Police Department joined a select group of law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts (117) when we attained our initial accreditation. Accreditation awards are for a three-year period. Upon receiving accreditation, the department immediately started the process necessary to attain reaccreditation status in 2025.
On December 31, 2020, Governor Charlie Baker signed, “An Act Relative to Justice, Equity and Accountability in Law Enforcement in the Commonwealth”. Commonly referred to as the Massachusetts Police Reform law, the new law includes a certification system for police officers and departments, the creation of a Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission, public access to police misconduct investigation records and addresses many other issues. The department has been working to implement the changes as the various commissions formed through the Act issue directives.
Many of the expected changes the law requires are already included within the standards necessary to meet certification I accreditation by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. The department is in a great position to meet or exceed the mandates instituted by the various commissions due to our attainment of accreditation in October, 2022. In May, 2022 the POST Commission started the three-year process of recertification for all police officers in the commonwealth. The certification of all law enforcement officers with last names beginning with A-H expired on July 1, 2022. We are pleased to announce that all 27 police officers with the Franklin Police Department with last names beginning with A-H passed the process and are certified for the next three years. On July 1, 2023 the certification of all officers with last names beginning with I-P expired and all 17 police officers passed the process and are certified for the next three years.
For the past several years, through the combined effort of the Franklin Police Department, Franklin Fire Department, Facilities Department and private vendors; we have been working to expand and modernize our public safety communications system. Enhancements to existing communications facilities and the addition of new locations with modern and advanced equipment throughout town will increase the coverage, reliability and clarity of the system. These enhancements will increase the communications ability and safety of our public safety personnel while answering calls for service. We are pleased to report the new digital platform has been tested, is operational and working well. To increase the operational capacity of our communications the department has started the process of adopting a simulcast system. The department is pleased to report our application to the Federal Communications Commission to establish a simulcast radio system has been approved. The equipment needed to operate this system has been purchased and we anticipate installation and utilization of the system will begin in the fall of 2023.
The Franklin/Medway Jail Diversion Program (JDP) was launched in 2018 and pairs specially trained crisis clinicians from Advocates Inc, with police officers at the Franklin/Medway Police Departments. These embedded clinicians respond to calls for service and 911 calls with patrol officers; providing immediate on scene de- escalation, assessment and referrals for individuals in crisis. The primary goal of the JDP is to re-direct individuals committing non-violent offenses out of the criminal justice system and into more appropriate community based behavioral health services. On-scene crisis interventions are facilitated through the dual response of police and a clinician to calls for service involving individuals in crisis.
The JDP program has been a major success and has benefited the town immensely. However, due to a number of different variables, the department has decided to move in a new direction in our efforts to provide superior mental health related services and will end our involvement in the regional JDP program with the Town of Medway and Advocates. In June, 2023 the department created the Franklin Police Department Co-Response Program. Similar to the JDP program, the department will hire trained crisis clinicians to pair with our officers to provide on-scene crisis interventions. The additional goals of the co-response program are to provide advanced mental health, addiction and other services to the residents of the town by directly hiring several trained crisis clinicians. Working in collaboration with other town personnel, co-response members will provide a holistic approach to the delivery of mental health services to the residents of Franklin. The department recently received a $100,000 FY24 grant from the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to fund the salary of a Co- Response Program Supervisor. The department is ecstatic to announce we have hired Kallie Montagano as the Co- Response Program Manager. Many may recall that Kallie was the departments first JDP clinician (2018-2021), who was instrumental in the implementation of the new program and only left due to a deserved promotion with Advocates. For the past two years she has been supervising JDP clinicians and overseeing implementations of the JDP Program in police departments throughout the area. The Co-Response Program's first goals are to solicit additional funding from DMH to add to the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were already designated to hire additional clinicians and to start the hiring process. Under the leadership of Kallie Montagano, we are confident the Co- Response Program will provide excellent services to the town and exceed expectations.
The opioid epidemic and drug overdoses continue to impact communities throughout the United States and Franklin. According to the Safe Coalition, 2,357 Massachusetts residents lost their lives to overdose in 2022. Massachusetts experienced a 2.5% increase in overdose fatalities between 2021 and 2022 and a 9.1% increase from pre-pandemic 2016. Fentanyl continues to be a major contributor and was present in 93% of fatal overdoses where a toxicology report was available. The Department responded to 24 reported overdose incidents during FY23, two (2) of which were fatal. Public Safety personnel administered the opioid reversal drug Naloxone, commonly referred to as Narcan, at 16 of the incidents. In FY22 there were 16 reported overdose incidents, three (3) of which were fatalities. In FY21 there were 33 reported overdose incidents, two (2) of which were fatal. The FPD continues to collaborate with our federal, state, local and private partners (SAFE Coalition) in our efforts to provide those suffering from substance use disorders with resources, referrals, assistance and support in their efforts to get well.
In 2019 all Norfolk County municipal law enforcement agencies and the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office joined in collaboration to form the Norfolk County Outreach Program (NCOP). This multi-jurisdictional effort includes the real-time reporting of overdoses and the identification of at-risk individuals throughout the county through the use of a shared data management system. Follow-up visits by law enforcement officers and our Co-Response clinician are conducted within 48 hours of the event to provide individuals with substance use disorder andIor their loved ones with appropriate resource information and access to treatment. The NCOP expanded its outreach by instituting a cross jurisdictional notification system that shares data with 13 of the 14 counties in Massachusetts. This achievement truly provides the FPD with the ability to have a more complete approach to identifying those in need of substance abuse services in our community. FPD personnel successfully conducted 22 of 24 follow-up visit attempts in FY23.
Although we responded to 24 reported overdose incidents in Franklin, we received an alert that three (3) Franklin residents had an overdose event in a community outside Norfolk County. Without this initiative we may have never known about these events and would not have been able to offer these Franklin residents resources and services.
In June of 2022 the Franklin Police Department joined the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Trust Building Campaign. The IACP Trust Building Campaign seeks to enhance trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve by ensuring positive police/community partnerships that promote safe, effective interactions, create strategies to prevent and reduce crime, and improve the well-being and quality of life for all. To join the campaign, law enforcement agencies must pledge, over the next 36 months, to implement twenty-five (25) key policies and promising practices in six key focus areas that are essential to enhance the trust and collaboration between a police department and its community. These key areas are: Bias-Free Policing, Use of Force, Leadership and Culture, Recruitment/Hiring/Retention, Victim Services and Community Relations. The department has implemented 21 of the 25 key policies and promising practices to date. One of the practices we recently undertook was to provide a community survey on public safety and law enforcement via social media to illicit opinions and feedback from the residents. We received 280 responses to date. A thorough description of the survey results and what we learned from the survey will be published soon. One of the questions important to the department and we will share the results here, was identifying what the community believes are the three greatest problems within the community from a list of 25 issues. The top three responses were Traffic Related Issues (49.3%), Mental Health Issues (44.3%) and Drug Abuse (31.8%).
We have previously discussed our response, initiatives and programs related to mental health and drug abuse related issues (Co-Response Program, Norfolk County Outreach, etc.). What is the department doing about traffic related issues and specifically infractions of motor vehicles laws? The department did not need a survey to identify that traffic related issues is the top concern of residents as it is the largest complaint and request for services we receive throughout the year. We increased our fleet of speed I sign board trailers from 2 to 3 with the purchase of an additional speed I sign board in December. In January, 2023 the department began a campaign to refocus on traffic enforcement. Spearheaded by the Operations Division, the goal is to increase stops of motor vehicle law violators in an effort to increase voluntary compliance with motor vehicle laws. During FY22 the department completed 1,868 motor vehicle stops. In FY23 the department stopped 3,348 motor vehicle law violators, representing an additional 1,483 stops or a 79.4% increase when compared to FY22. With the recent addition of 4 new officers being assigned to the Operations Division our goal is to increase the number of traffic enforcement directed patrols while simultaneously increasing the number of motor vehicle stops by 25% over FY23 numbers.
On August 3, 2022 the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) announced the adoption of a statewide standard for a proactive, integrated active shooter/hostile event response. EOPSS recognized the NFPA 3000: Standard for an Active Shooter I Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program as the statewide framework for hostile event planning, response, and recovery. NFPA 3000 establishes a model for cross- discipline collaboration designed to help communities prepare for and respond to potential hostile events. Since the adoption of the ASHER Program, the department has completed the updating of all school safety plans including Dean College. A huge thank you to Officer John Godino for completing this important task.
In May, 2023 all personnel from the Franklin Police Department and the Franklin Fire Department attended a joint ASHER related training with a focus on the Rescue Task Force (RTF) concept. In this concept, fire I rescue assets are teamed up with law enforcement to allow them to enter an active shooter scene earlier in the response, even before the scene is completely secured. By getting fire I rescue into the "warm zone" with police protection early, instead of waiting until the scene is declared fully secured, the treatment and evacuation of critically injured victims can be accelerated, which saves lives. The training was a major success, was well received by all personnel involved and was the first of what we expect will be annual training related to the ASHER concept.
I want to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of the men and women of the Franklin Police Department who demonstrate daily their commitment to providing excellent services to the community. They are truly the best in the profession and regularly succeed in exceeding our stated mission, values and vision.
Mission, Values and Vision Statement Our Mission
The mission of the Franklin Police Department is to work collaboratively in partnership with our community to enhance the quality of life in our town, while maintaining order and protecting the people we serve. We will accomplish this mission by providing high quality law enforcement service, doing so with professionalism, honor and integrity.
Our Values
The Franklin Police Department exists to serve our community. We will respond to the needs of our community enthusiastically and professionally.
Central to our mission are the values that direct our everyday work and decisions, they assist us to contribute to an enhanced quality of life for the residents of Franklin.
Loyalty
• We care about the people and the community we serve.
• We are proud of the Department and the quality services we provide.
• We recognize the importance of all Department members and treat each other with fairness, loyalty, and respect.
Integrity
• We obey the law and respect the human dignity of all people.
• We are committed to honesty and ethical behavior in all our actions.
• We accept individual responsibility and accountability for our actions and decisions.
Leadership
• We strive to inspire, influence and support those in our organization and throughout the community.
• We believe leadership permeates the entire organization. We expect all members of the department to take initiative, seize leadership opportunities and solve problems.
• We lead by example by being positive and enthusiastic in everything we do.
Fairness
• We are dedicated to protecting the rights of all people.
• We believe all people deserve impartial and effective services from the Department.
• We are committed to fairness, strength, respect, and compassion in our interactions with the people we serve.
Accountability
• We are accountable to each other and to those we serve.
• We communicate openly and honestly among ourselves and with the community. We acknowledge our mistakes and are open to constructive criticism.
• We understand the importance of community expectations and are responsive to community concerns.
Excellence
• We are committed to excellence in the service we provide.
• We are committed to excellence in the community we serve
• We are committed to excellence in our personal performance and professionalism.
Our Vision
It is the vision and goal of the Franklin Police Department to perpetuate a strong work ethic that fosters pride in ourselves and in our department. We will be a model agency prepared to meet future challenges and will continue to grow and adapt to our ever-changing community by providing the highest level of service and protection to our citizens.
We will accomplish this goal by providing our employees with the tools, training and knowledge to meet and exceed all present and future needs of the Town of Franklin within the scope of law enforcement services.
We will continuously work in collaboration with the community to identify and address those areas requiring improvement. We will strive to adapt thus ensuring we continue to provide the level of service deserved by the community we serve.
The full Town of Franklin FY 2023 Annual Report can be found online
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| Annual Report Of The Franklin Police Department: FY 2023 Report |
