The year 2011 was another busy year for the police department with a total of 911 calls – down by 447 from 2010. These calls break down as follows:

  • 409 miscellaneous calls (a call that requires a log entry only) – Example; power-line down, assist fire department with traffic, loose dog, assist another department – no arrest.
  • 502 calls for service (a call that needs a state incident report) – Example; assault, criminal mischief, domestic violence or a call where there is an arrest or could result in one.
  • 27 motor vehicle accidents – includes all accidents, with or without personal injury.
  • 21 burglar/fire/medical alarms – cause found or no cause found.
  • 54 case reports – these are Class A or Class B Misdemeanors or Class A felony cases.

2011 showed a decrease in calls for service. Motor vehicle accidents stayed the same. Alarms were down by twenty-four and Case reports were up by twenty-five.

The department was involved in numerous hours of training in 2011, some at a local level and some at state and county level. The department was able to do some in house training for the Fire Department and Highway Department in Traffic Control and Protective Clothing. The State has made it mandatory to take a flagger course if you’re going to be in road directing traffic. Dana Hennessy and I took the instructor course and are now certified to train town personnel.

The department has seen an increase in Scams not just in Harrisville, but all of the United States. This department spent countless hours on investigations and regional meetings working on these cases. There seems to be no shortage of new ones as soon as the old ones have been exposed. I urge everyone to look out for your older relatives as this is the target area.

I would like to thank Vira Elder, Lenny Emond and Dana Hennessy for assisting me in the police department. I would also like to thank the other town departments and Selectmen for their continued support. I look forward to serving the town in 2012 and my continued work with the other town departments.

Respectfully submitted, Chief Russell J. Driscoll