Hudson - Litchfield News May 20, 2011 - 5
Hudson Police- Public Service Announcement
by Master Patrol Officer Roger Lamarche, Hudson Police Department In this day and age, we have become a busy society. We wake up, go to work, head to the gym, go grocery shopping, make a doctor’s appointment, and bring the kids to their music lesson or soccer practice, all in time to catch the latest episode of American Idol. With our full schedules, it is easy for us to lose sight on what we are immediately doing and focus on the next errand we have to finish. With this article, my goal is to provide a behind-the-scenes look into traffic stops, share some statistics, and inform you of a recent state law, RSA 265:37-a, Motorist Duties When Approaching Highway Emergencies, also known as the “Move Over Law.” My concerns lay with the motoring public’s safety and more importantly the safety of my fellow officers and myself. One of the approaches to my job as a Hudson police officer is to educate the public on what I do and why I do it. Traffic enforcement is one of the most important functions of police officers. Traffic enforcement ensures roadways are safe for our town and also serves as an opportunity for crime detection. To the average person, it may seem very simple when a cruiser has a car pulled over on the side of the road. When an officer decides to stop a vehicle, we begin with looking for a safe location to stop the car. In my experience, most people do not stop when they see emergency lights. They may slow down, but they never stop. Now I have to try and drive around the cars that did not stop and conduct a safe traffic stop. Once I have the vehicle stopped, I try to query the registration on my mobile data terminal (MDT), be on the lookout for any
suspicious movements, and call out my stop to dispatch and watch for traffic around my cruiser as I attempt to make contact with the driver.
During these stops, I regularly feel traffic
brush by and put myself at an unnecessary risk. What the average person does not realize is what can happen to the officer if the stop goes bad and some type of altercation takes place. The risk of either the officer or the motorist getting injured or even killed by a passing car goes up. If you are driving by a traffic stop, please slow down and move over when it is safe to do so. This allows the officer a safer place to do their work.
Statistically speaking, conducting traffic stops are more dangerous to police officers than any other situation we face. In 2010, a total of 162 officers died in the line of duty, with 73 of those deaths attributed to traffic-related incidents. “Traffic-related fatalities have been the leading cause of line of duty deaths for 13 straight years. Even more troubling, 2010 saw a rise in fatalities resulting from officers being struck while outside their vehicles. Ten officers were struck and killed two years ago in 2009, but 16 officers were killed in 2010.”* Does every traffic stop end badly—no, but they are dangerous. The law, which helps protect officers during traffic stops in the State of New Hampshire, became effective in August 2008. This law, RSA 265:37-a, Motorist Duties When Approaching Highway Emergencies, contains the following language:
“When in or approaching an incident involving a fire, collision, disaster, or other
S E Safety When Approaching Traffic Stops
emergency resulting in partial or complete blockage of a highway, or a location where a police officer has made a traffic stop, every driver other than the driver of an emergency response vehicle, shall: I Maintain a reduced speed. II Obey the directions of any authorized person directing traffic and of all applicable emergency signals and traffic control devices.
III Vacate as soon as possible any lane wholly or partially blocked.
IV Give a wide berth, without endangering oncoming traffic, to public safety personnel, any persons in the roadway, and stationary vehicles displaying blue, red, or amber emergency or warning lights.” Basically, when you approach a traffic stop on the side of the road, the laws say you shall slow down, move to an outside lane if possible, and be careful. Someone who is found guilty of violating the law could face a fine of up to $1,000. I hope this article was helpful and gave
you some insight to what police officers do on a daily basis. There is no such thing as a “routine” traffic stop. Life moves in the blink of an eye. Don’t let the few inconvenient seconds it takes to slow down and be careful cause a lifetime of regret. Thank you and please be safe! Questions and/or comments may be directed to MPO Lamarche at
rlamarche@hudsonnh.gov.
*
http://www.nleomf.org/assets/pdfs/ reports/2010 Law Enforcement Fatalities Report.pdf
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Narcotics Investigation Ends with Arrest of Massachusetts Woman
submitted by Hudson Police Department The Hudson
Police
Department’s Criminal Investigation Division
Heather Tully
conducted a five-month- long narcotics
investigation into the illegal distribution of Vicodin. This investigation resulted in the
arrest of Heather Tully, 55, of Tyngsborough, MA. The investigation began in January 2011 when the Hudson Police Department received information from a confidential source that Tully was distributing prescription pills throughout the Hudson area.
On May 10, the investigation concluded
when Hudson police detectives arrested Tully during an illegal drug transaction in the parking lot of a business on River Road in Hudson. Tully was arrested on an outstanding Hudson Police Department arrest warrant, charging her with two counts
of Sale of a Controlled/Narcotic Drug. A motor vehicle involved in the drug arrest was impounded at the Hudson Police Department pending the execution of a search warrant. Tully is charged with Sale of a Narcotic
Drug – Vicodin. Tully was held on $15,000 cash bail and is held at the Valley Street Jail in Manchester.
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At the boat ramp ... When a lane is clear, back down the ramp slowly until the
engine’s cooling water intakes are submerged. Start the engine. Letting it warm up prevents the engine from stalling at critical times when leaving the trailer. Once the boat engine is running, check to see that everything is operating properly. Ease the engine into and out of reverse a few times. If it doesn’t stall, the boat may be unloaded. Unhook the bow winch hook. Control the launch with the boat’s forward and reverse throttle. Once off the trailer, lower the drive unit or motor. On the water ... Do not tie on to launch docks or block the ramp while parking
the tow vehicle. Move the boat away from the ramp to await the return of the tow vehicle driver. If you boat alone, pull into an area away from the ramp before parking the tow vehicle. Retrieving your boat ... Drop a person off to pick up the vehicle and trailer while the boat and occupants wait offshore. Do not block a ramp with your boat or vehicle. The line at the ramp is formed by the tow vehicle’s position in the line, not by the boat’s position. Back the trailer down the ramp into a launch lane. The boat operator can slowly drive onto the trailer or the vehicle operator can connect the winch hook to the boat and crank the boat up onto the trailer. Be sure the boat is centered on the trailer and the lower unit is raised before pulling out. Proceed to an uncongested area of the parking lot to further secure the boat.
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n o ’ Child Struck by Van, Police Investigating
submitted by Hudson Police Department On Friday, May 13 at approximately 4:12 p.m., members of the Hudson Police and Fire Departments responded to a motor vehicle collision involving a two-year-old juvenile pedestrian. The collision occurred on Scottsdale Drive in the area of Highland Street. The vehicle involved was a 2002 Dodge
Caravan operated by Sandra Levasseur, 68, of Hudson. The vehicle was traveling north on Scottsdale Drive just prior to the collision. The juvenile was accompanied by an adult family member and siblings on Scottsdale Drive just prior to the collision. The juvenile was attempting to run across the street when the collision occurred. The name of the two-year-old male juvenile is not being released at this time. Levasseur was uninjured. The juvenile was transported
by the Hudson Fire Department to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua, and was subsequently transported to Boston Children’s Hospital for further evaluation. Speed and alcohol do not appear to be contributing factors in this collision. This incident is currently under investigation.
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