One Municipal Drive
Derry, New Hampshire 03038
www.nhchiefsofpolice.com
New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of
Police
|
|
In the early 1970’s, some grant monies provided training and experience to two or three cadets in the State of NH that wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. Chief Robert J. Wike of the Goffstown Police Department and Director of Exploring, Donald Lemire of the Daniel Webster Council decided that more cadets needed to gain access to higher levels of training and opportunities. The Goffstown Police Department had formed a police explorer post through the Daniel Webster Council in 1970. It was a large post and training the cadets to become police officers was very important. Chief Wike and Don Lemire put together a weeklong program of academics and physical training for any teenager who wanted an academy experience. They approached the Chiefs of Police Association for funding. The New Hampshire Police Association came on board a few years later with matching funds. The Daniel Webster Council provided support with mailing out applications and processing all the paperwork that was required for such an undertaking. But it was a federal grant for $7,000. issued by the NH Crime Commission that allowed the formation of the Academy.
The first Commander of the Academy was Goffstown Officer Richard Sexton. At the time of his assignment, Officer Sexton was only 22 years old and not much older than the attendees. His vision was to allow the cadets to see police officers as being sensitive and humane and to rid them of law enforcement stereotypes. Two other Goffstown Police Department employees were responsible for the Academy curriculum. Anita St. Onge of the Department’s Office of Youth Services and Nelson MacAskill, Director of Administrative Services set up classes on firearms, self-defense and K-9, which were very popular with the cadets. The instructors for all the classes came from around the State. Police officers from the larger cities, State and County law enforcement, and the local one officer Department all had experiences to share that went beyond teaching a class. The instructors have always come from all aspects of law enforcement and include liquor enforcement, Fish & Game, corrections, probation and parole, federal agencies, sheriffs’ departments, military police, and the courts. The first Academy instructor for the Communications class was Bruce Cutting, the Director of Communications for the State Police. Raymond Labrie of the Porstmouth Police Department taught Juvenile Delinquency. Boscawen Police Chief Clay Downing taught Riots and Civil Disturbances. DEA Agent Joseph Catale instructed the cadets on drugs and narcotics. Then Corporal Marty Heon of the New Hampshire State Police gave a class on photography. Many changes have happened since that first Academy. The classes then were one hour long and there were six classes a day for the weeklong Academy. Other changes have been to the structure itself. There are now a hundred cadets that may attend the Academy during their first year and they are called Basics. Because there was so much interest to return a second year, the Academy started an Advanced Class in 1981. This provided for more in depth training and allowed for a smaller class of thirty-six cadets. In 1997, a cadet could return for a third year as the Academy established the Leadership Class and limited the class size to twenty cadets. This was designed for the truly serious, career-oriented cadet. Many of the Leadership Cadets go onto careers in law enforcement.
In 1988 and 1998 the Academy was held at the NH Technical Institute in Concord. In 1989 and 1990, cadets survived a week overlooking Wolfeboro Bay from Brewster Academy. From 1991 to 1997, NHPCTA was held at Daniel Webster College in Nashua. Since 1999, the Academy has been at Hesser College in Manchester. This location has provided good classroom space, very good dining and dorm rooms that are all in one building. Room inspections are easier for the Staff and getting cadets to fall out is very efficient.
Each Commander had their own style and established new traditions with their Academies. Since 2004 the Commander has been Chief Vinnie Baiocchetti of Belmont PD. He has been a staff member since 1987. Previous Commanders have been Officer Doug Watson of the Windham Police Department. He continued as an instructor and provided a lively class on the aspects of properly searching a suspect for weapons. Other Commanders to follow were Gene McCarthy of the Nashua Police Department, Ed Tuthill who was a Lt. with Goffstown and then Chief of Weare, and Sgt. Bob Therrien of the Lebanon Police Department. The Staff of the Academy have always been the backbone of the NHPCTA. As soon as one class graduates, the Staff begins planning the next year’s Academy. Some staff members have been on board for a very long time, which allows for consistency from year to year.
The Academy has always been more than just physical training and academics. The discipline and attention to detail allow for character development. The transition starts to take place when a cadet first arrives and meets the Staff. They are split into small squads and are assigned a Staff Advisor. That contact with the Staff member will forge into a strong bond within one week. The Staff must have qualities of leadership and must be able to communicate well. Most of the Staff spend the entire week at the Academy from Saturday to the last Friday in June. They don’t see their families for the week and some have to take vacation time from their Departments in order to attend. The Staff comprises of about 25 officers from around the State and one from Vermont. They are highly motivated and dedicated officers who want to enable the cadets to become the future of law enforcement.
|
