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POLICE SERVICES OPTIONS COMMITTEE
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
April 24, 2018, 6:00 PM
Meeting Hall
Old Lyme Town Hall
Present: First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder; Beth Sullivan; Matthew Reed; Michael Miller; Harvey Gemme; Andy Russell; Keith Coakley, Fred Callahan
Absent: Matthew Ward
Harvey Gemme was seated in the absence of Matthew Ward
- Approval of minutes of April 3, 2018 meeting: Michael Miller mentioned that John Mesham introduced himself at the meeting as a private citizen, and felt that his comments were made as such, which was agreed to be noted in the minutes. Keith Coakley corrected the 7th line from bottom on first page, referring to 1153 officers, which should read 1153 part time hours. Angelo Faenza moved to approve the minutes of April 3, 2018 as amended, second by Beth Sullivan. Motion approved.
- Discussion regarding presentation by Chief Finkelstein at April 3rd meeting:
Members discussed the presentation, agreeing that it was interesting, and the Chief described some great programs. Some concerns were the mention of one patrol for Old Lyme, and the numbers for the summer coverage. There was more discussion regarding the number of patrols if the merger took place. Cost is definitely a factor, and many agreed that the cost would go up if an SRO is utilized, either in the current model, or through a merger with East Lyme. One member brought up some of the issues that East Lyme Police face with the commercial area at exit 74, with hotels, etc. We should get crime statistics from East Lyme. There was also discussion about sharing the cost of a building. There was further discussion about the comparison of the two models. There was discussion on
communications system as well.
- Further Discussion on a. Needs; b. Options; c. Cost of services
There was further discussion about the needs of the community, particularly the need for an SRO for the schools, and the complication that is created because Lyme Consolidated School is outside the jurisdiction of the Old Lyme Police Dept. The committee agreed that it would be helpful to have Chief Darren Stewart of Stonington and the CT Police Chiefs Assoc. attend a meeting to discuss what the Association might have to offer to our committee. A log of activities for Old Lyme, provided by Trooper Ward, was shared with the committee and the specifics about the calls were shared. There was discussion about the details of the logs. The committee decided to schedule their next meeting on May 8th at 6 PM.
- Public comment: Sophie Marsh had some comments, and mentioned that getting to East Lyme can be difficult. Coming from Westbrook seems easier than from East Lyme. She also wanted to know what the response rate times are in East Lyme, are there defibrillators in the cars in both towns. She was also interested in the total square miles of each town. Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal wanted to know how new technology, such as cameras, helps in supporting manpower. John Mesham mentioned that the Rogers Lake Authority is manned when requested, either by an Old Lyme officer or a trooper.
- Adjournment: A motion was made by Andy Russell, second by Matthew Reed, to adjourn at 7:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted, Bonnie Reemsnyder
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