This month’s release of the Chelsea Police Department’s Annual Report indicates that overall crime in the city was down nearly 4% in 2009. Property crime was down almost 6%, while violent crime was up less than 1%. Police Chief Brian Kyes cheered the overall results and remained vigilant in his comments about the need to continue to make Chelsea safer.
“I’m pleased but not satisfied with the results of our policing efforts and our overall community oriented mission. It’s great to see the hard work of a terrific department paying-off, and especially gratifying to see the innovative programming we’ve initiated having such big success. But we need to and will continue to do better,” emphasized Kyes, who has led the local department since November of 2007.
Among the new programs Kyes implemented in 2009 were the Newcomer Initiative, a program funded with the assistance of Partners HealthCare to improve relations and crime prevention among refugees and immigrants; the addition of two K9 officers and dogs, bringing the department’s total to three; the use of new technology like the License Plate Reader, which automates the search for vehicles wanted for a variety of violations, and the establishment of an Impact Shift. Regarding the latter, Kyes says that eight of the nine extra officers hired in FY’09 are on a special shift that overlaps existing shifts to give the department additional manpower during especially busy periods.
“The Impact Shift has been a huge success as it increases our manpower by as much as 50% during the evening and early morning hours when more calls for service come in. The availability of those extra officers allows us to respond more quickly to calls and, as importantly, allows us to be more proactive and visible in addressing areas of concern,” Kyes informed.
Kyes said that individual officers on patrol and those assigned to specialized units have demonstrated a “renewed sense of purpose” and a “re-committal to the high ideals we hold for the department and its mission” while “ramping-up” their efforts to address and prevent crime.
In 2009, property crime fell in each of the city’s four sectors. While Kyes and his officers are seeking to reduce that further, they have also embarked on new efforts in 2010 to reduce violent crime.
“At the urging of the City Council and City Manager, and in cooperation with our community partners, we have been even more active in pursuing a reduction in violent crime. In fact, with the assistance of some grant funding secured by Roca, we actually have two additional officers on every night this summer doing zero tolerance activities around the community. That’s having an additional impact,” Kyes claimed.
Kyes’ assertion of cooperation among community partners was supported by City Manager Jay Ash, who said that relations between the police and the community might be the strongest they have ever been.
“We’re all working together and the cooperation and collaboration is making a huge difference,” purported Ash. “Both the Chief and I are grateful that local organizations and the City Council continue to represent the interests of local residents and work with us to do a better job protecting them. The Chelsea Police Department is greatly respected for its crime-fighting ability, but Chief Kyes would be the first to say that the community at large is an important, if not the critical part of his department’s ultimate success.”
Ash said the City Council and he have been able to continue to find the resources to support the elevated manpower on the streets, despite otherwise tough financial times. At least one City Council is pleased with that result.
“It’s our top priority,” stressed Councillor Mike MeKonnen, the Chairman of the Council’s Sub-Committee on Public Safety, “and it’s especially important that we do all that we can to support our police. We’re lucky that Chief Kyes, his command staff and the officers under their direction are having a meaningful impact on the most significant issues facing our community today.”
Kyes said 2010 will see a continued emphasis on drug, prostitution and violent crime prevention and enforcement activities.
“Unfortunately, we live in a world where those crimes and others are prevalent. We’ll continue to combat that, though, with a smart and effective combination of technology, accountability, ingenuity and good old fashion police work, all to make Chelsea a safer place to be,” concluded Kyes.
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