Concord, MA - News and Events

As motorists take to the roads this Memorial Day holiday, Concord Police are urging everyone to buckle up. The Concord Police Department, in partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s (EOPSS) Highway Safety Division (HSD) and other local departments will take part in the 2013 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization from May 20 to June 2 and crack down on motorists who are not belted.

“As we kick-off the busy summer driving season it’s important that everyone buckles up every time they go out, both day and night – no excuses,” said Chief Barry R. Neal. “Our officers are also prepared to ticket drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts – Click It or Ticket.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over half of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 were unbelted at the time of the crash. Those deaths were more prevalent at night than during the daytime.

Tragically, these national statistics are mirrored locally. According to the NHTSA, 54 percent of people killed in passenger motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts during 2011 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up,” said Chief Barry R. Neal. “We want everyone to have a safe summer, but it requires an important step on the part of motorists – clicking that seat belt – every trip, every time.”

NHTSA estimates 11,949 lives nationwide were saved by using seatbelts. This year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 20 through June 2 but officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.

Staff and students only will be allowed to enter from the Walden Street driveway beginning Feb. 25. Students will park in the main lot closest to Walden Street.

Parents may only enter from the Thoreau Street driveway when picking students up in the afternoon. The Walden Street exit will be reserved for buses, faculty and student vehicles.

Parents should line up along the driveway on the right side as they come up the hill. A new pick-up loop is being created at the top of the Thoreau Street drive hill to allow parents to turn around and exit along the Thoreau Street drive.

When parents are ready to pick-up students, they are instructed to either go into the new loop or have them walk down the hill to where the car is waiting.

People will still be able to access the lower fields through the current football game gate as well as through a gate closer to the Thoreau Street entrance.

As you have likely heard that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Service (ICE) is implementing their Secure Communities program in Massachusetts on May 15^th. This is NOT a policy decision of the Town of Concord, and the Concord Police Department (CPD). For purposes of CPD daily operations, nothing will change on May 15^th. We will continue to fingerprint persons arrested for criminal offenses and we will continue to submit our fingerprint data to the FBI. The change will then occur at the Federal level where the FBI will then share submitted fingerprint data with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

The CPD continues its unwavering commitment to performing our duties in a fair and impartial manner. We intend to redistribute our policy statement on the prohibition of racially biased policing, seek additional training on this topic, and I will visiting police roll calls to discuss the importance of our policy and the importance of performing our duties fairly and without bias.

We have no control over the decision to implement Secure Communities and it will in no way impact the way we police Concord, nor our commitment to building trusting relationships with all law abiding members of our community, regardless of their immigration status.

The Concord Police Department has partnered with Emergency Communications Network to license its CodeRED high-speed notification solution to create a Concord Police Department Emergency Notification System. The CodeRED System provides Concord Police Department with the ability to quickly deliver personalized messages via voice, email, phone text and TDD/TTY capabilities to targeted areas or the entire Town of Concord in minutes.

Chief Barry Neal cautioned that such systems are only as good as the telephone number database supporting them. "If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called." One of the reasons the CodeRED system was selected is that it gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own phone numbers directly into the system's data base, which is an extremely important feature.

“No one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included,” Chief Neal said urging all individuals and businesses to log onto the Town of Concord's website, www.concordma.gov, and follow the link to the Concord Police Department’s home page. From there, there will be information about the Concord Police Department Emergency Notification System and a link to the form that can be filled out. Anyone without Internet access may call the Concord Police Department at 978-318-3400 to supply their information over the phone. Required information includes first and last name, street address (physical address, no P.O. boxes), city, state, zip code, and primary phone number. Additional phone numbers can be entered as well.

All businesses should register, as well as all individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, and those who have changed their phone number or address within the past year or who use a cellular phone or VoIP phone as their primary number.

Chief Neal explained, "The Concord Police Department Emergency Notification System allows geographically based delivery, which means street addresses are required to ensure emergency notification calls are received by the proper individuals in a given situation. The system works for cell phones too, but we need to have an associated street address to provide relevant messages."

Chief Neal stated, "The Concord Police Department Emergency Notification System gives those who want to be included an easy and secure method for inputting information. The data collected will only be used for emergency notification purposes." Questions should be directed to the Concord Police Department, Detective James Forten at 978-318-3420 or email jforten@concordma.gov.