Class 13-16 Week #6

Week #6: Major crimes with Sandwich Police Department Detective Division

Class started off with the most recent ride-along reports. One student went out with Officer Fernandes (whose mother is in the current class); she commented that she especially enjoyed the scenery along Rt. 6A. She and Officer Fernandes encountered a few minor traffic incidents and one not-so-minor involving a motorist passing on the wrong side of the road. Another student went out with Officer Grigorenko, and they encountered a potential domestic incident in a Stop and Shop parking lot; unfortunately, the "victim" was unwilling to admit that anything was wrong, despite a large gash on her forehead. Class then met Detective Sergeant Terence Murphy and Detective Michael Gumbleton, who gave an extremely interesting presentation on Property Crimes and Crimes Against Persons. Property Crimes involve such things as arson, breaking and entering, larceny, shoplifting, and malicious destruction. Crimes Against Persons involve murder (in which case Sandwich detectives assist the State Police); armed robbery, home invasion, identity theft, and sexual assaults. Detective Murphy described the process for obtaining a warrant for a GPS device that can be attached to a car or truck (unbeknownst to the driver), thus allowing the detectives to track the movement of a vehicle they believe is or will be involved in potential criminal activity. The detectives discussed several recent cases involving drug seizures in Sandwich; heroin is the drug the PD most often finds, and there is a direct correlation between a majority of the crimes in town and drug addiction. Both detectives are involved with the Drug Interdiction Unit, in which the detectives collaborate with patrol officers in an extremely proactive approach to drug enforcement. The Unit's goal is to intercept drug use and distribution in Sandwich, and the detectives believe that the Unit has made a definite impact on crime in Sandwich. During class one student brought up the infamous Town Neck Torso; Lieutenant Bound told the class that the incident remains a mystery, although various police departments are working together to solve it.
                                                                                                                                                                                 Contributing Editor Donna Leiss

Next week's class: Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol (OUI enforcement). Field Sobriety testing and breathalyzer demonstration - always informative and enjoyable.

Photos courtesy of Bob Nichols and Pauline Fortin