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In the Community: Police Department Roles & Specialties

Posted by | March 22, 2021 | Police

There are a variety of different specialties within the ranks and membership of a police department. In this video the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department located in Massachusetts introduces the various roles department members have in the community, including dispatch, overdose outreach, school resource officer, and animal control.

Members of the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department featured in the video include: 

  • Chief Todd Fitzgerald
  • Dispatcher Katie Elwell
  • Sgt. Chris Locke
  • Sgt. Stephen Louf
  • Animal Control Officer Hayes Demeule
  • School Resource Officer Andrea Locke
  • Detective Mike Richard
  • Accreditation Manager Officer Ryan Machain
  • Lt. Mark McCoy

“Most of our role as police officers in Manchester-by-the-Sea is to be the helpers,” Sgt. Locke, who oversees the night shift for patrols in the department, said. “I’m very proud of the people on my shift and I am very proud to say that we’re here when residents need us. We’ll be there when you call, especially and even if it is in the middle of the night.”

Sgt. Louf, who oversees day shift patrols for the department as well as the department’s Overdose Outreach Follow-Up Team speaks in the video about the department’s efforts to connect those struggling with substance use and mental health issues to resources for support and recovery. The Overdose Outreach Follow-Up Team is a partnership with the Essex Police Department (Massachusetts), Lahey Behavioral Health and One Stop, a free prevention and screening service based out of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

“What we do is go out into the community and meet with people who have a substance use issue or a mental health issue, and we try to offer them services and curb them into treatment,” Sgt. Louf said. “It was important for us to focus on mental health issues and substance use issues because too many times people were being brought into the criminal justice system and they didn’t really belong there.”

Animal Control Officer Demeule speaks in the video about the various responsibilities animal control officers have, not only to enforce laws but to educate residents about laws and animal care, and to share resources with pet owners.

“I like to be the person that is there on the scene to help, and I think Animal Control Officers are like that — we’re here to help,” Officer Demeule. “And that’s why we chose to do this job. We’re not just here for the animals and the love of the animals, we’re here for the people too.”

For the latest updates, visit the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department’s website by clicking here

This video was produced by John Guilfoil Public Relations, which provides public relations and video services for police and fire departments across New England, and manages RedBlueJobs.

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