Salem Police Department (Massachusetts)
| Salem Police Department | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | SPD |
|
A patrolman's badge from the Salem Police Department. | |
| Motto | In Service to the Community |
| Agency overview | |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction* | State of Massachusetts, USA |
| Legal jurisdiction | City of Salem, Massachusetts |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Salem, Massachusetts |
| Police Officers | 90[1] |
| Agency executive | Mary E. Butler, Chief of Police |
| Website | |
| Official Website | |
| Footnotes | |
| * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |
The city of Salem is serviced 24/7, 365 by the Salem Police Department (SPD). The Police Headquarters was built in 1991 and is located at 95 Margin Street. The current Chief of the Department is Mary E. Butler.[2]
Rank Structure
| Title | Insignia | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of Police |  |
|
| Captain |  |
|
| Lieutenant |  |
Lieutenants are typically the Watch Commander, the ranking officer in charge of the on duty shift. |
| Sergeant |  |
All ranks from Sergeant and above wear a gold badge and insignia. |
| Police Officer/Detective | Police Officers wear a silver badge, detectives wear a gold badge with a "Detective" rocker. |
History
The Salem Police Department has a long history, tracing its roots back to the constables and sheriffs of the 1600s. The department was organized into its current form on May 23, 1836, by city ordinance,[3] making it one of the oldest police departments in the country.
The department's former headquarters was located at 17 Central Street and was in use from 1914 to 1992.[4] A new headquarters building was opened in 1992, and dedicated in the name of former Chief Robert St. Pierre on May 11, 2012.[5]
Fallen officers
Three officers have died in the line of duty while in service to the Salem Police Department.
| Name | End of watch | Years of service | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ptl. John Bennett | October 13, 1955 | 30 years | Officer Bennett died after being struck by a motor vehicle while directing traffic.[6] |
| Ptl. Robert Flynn | March 2, 1958 | 1 year | Officer Flynn died after suffering a fall while on duty.[7] |
| Ptl. Edward Sawicki | December 1, 1980 | 25 years | Officer Sawicki died from injuries he sustained when he fell off a seawall while on the scene of a motor vehicle accident.[8] |
Personnel
Sworn personnel
The following is a breakdown of the sworn personnel by city ordinance when fully staffed.[9]
| Rank | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chief | 1 | Appointed through Civil Service |
| Captains | 4 | Appointed through Civil Service
Senior captain will become acting chief in his or her absence. |
| Lieutenants | 8 | Appointed through Civil Service |
| Sergeants | 14 | Appointed through Civil Service |
| Patrol Officers | 68 | Appointed through Civil Service |
| Reserve Officers | 21 | Appointed through Civil Service |
| Harbormasters | 1 | Appointed by Mayor |
| Animal Control Officers | 1 |
Civilian personnel
The following is a breakdown of the civilian personnel of the department.[10]
| Position | Count |
|---|---|
| Dispatchers | 5 |
| Records Clerks | 3 |
| Administrative Assistants | 3 |
Emergency dispatch
Salem PD is the primary public-safety answering point (PSAP) for the City of Salem and is the initial call point responsible for all emergency 911 calls, including medical and fire. In 2013 Salem PD responded to approximately 40,000 calls for service.[11] Approximately 1/8 of all calls are forwarded to the Fire Department,[12] but those calls are also served by SPD. The dispatch center also receives calls for the Salem State University and the SPD works closely with them on matters of mutual concern. The dispatch center is typically staffed by one or two civilian dispatchers, one House Officer/Dispatcher, 1 House Sergeant and 1 lieutenant (Officer in Charge).
Dive team
The SPD maintains a highly trained dive team of full-time sworn police officers. The dive team is the sole official dive team resource of NEMLEC,[13] which provides regional mutual aid to over 43 communities and 58 agencies in northeastern Massachusetts.
Criminal Investigation Division
The Criminal Investigation Division, also known as CID, is headed by a lieutenant, as the Unit Commander, and two sergeants as shift supervisors. There is one lieutenant, two sergeants, 8 detectives, 1 Domestic Violence Liaison Officer, 1 Animal Control Officer and 1 Latent Print Technician (Retired Detective).[14]
Neighboring Police Departments
The city is bordered by;
- Beverly, (City of) to the north,
- Marblehead, (Town of) to the east,
- Swampscott, (Town of) to the south,
- Peabody, (City of) to the west,
- Lynn, (City of) to the southwest,
- Danvers, (Town of) in the very northwest (on the Danvers River),
See also
References
- ↑ "A Greeting From Chief Paul F. Tucker", Salem, March 5th 2014. Retrieved on 5 March 2014.
- ↑ "A Greeting From Chief Paul F. Tucker", Salem, June 28th 2014. Retrieved on 28 June 2014.
- ↑ http://salempd.org/history
- ↑ http://salempd.org/history
- ↑ http://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/salem-names-police-headquarters-after-former-chief/article_d2a68512-3721-550d-b1fe-89596f477d79.html
- ↑ http://www.odmp.org/officer/1750-patrolman-john-j-bennett
- ↑ http://www.odmp.org/officer/4960-patrolman-robert-e-flynn
- ↑ http://www.odmp.org/officer/1750-patrolman-john-j-bennett
- ↑ "Municode Library". www.municode.com. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Salem Police Department - Contact Information". salempd.org. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "A Greeting From Chief Paul F. Tucker", Salem, June 28, 2014. Retrieved on June 28, 2014.
- ↑ "Salem, Massachusetts", Salem, June 28, 2014. Retrieved on June 28, 2014.
- ↑ "Dive Team", Salem, June 28, 2014. Retrieved on June 28, 2014.
- ↑ "Criminal Investigation Division", Salem, June 28th 2014. Retrieved on 28 June 2014.