>>Valley Patriot>>
|
The
Attacks on Chief Solomon Must Stop!
Methuen Councilor Debbie Quinn
 A recent newspaper article
in the Boston Globe quoted me as saying that I am
“definitely pro-blue.” That is an accurate
quote, and one I am proud to make as a city councilor and
citizen.
Our police officers serve and protect us all year long.
They miss out on family events, birthdays, anniversaries,
outings, holidays and so much more to do a job that can
be quite dangerous.
As rumors and innuendo swirl around the political swamp,
I think it is vitally important to support our Police
Department and I urge everyone to stop trading in rumors
and start concentrating on producing the best possible
public-safety environment for Methuen.
Regardless of the community, being a chief of police can
be a truly difficult job. A chief has to juggle the
competing political demands made by mayors, unions, city
councilors, and most importantly, the public.
In some instances, these competing demands produce
terrific political backlashes that have been directed
against chiefs everywhere. In Methuen, the rumor mill has
been working overtime to discredit Police Chief Joseph
Solomon. These politically motivated attacks are designed
to prevent him from doing his job as chief, and it really
needs to stop.
I cannot say that I agree with the chief on everything,
but I feel he has a strong record of accomplishment for
Methuen. What are those accomplishments? Under the
leadership of Chief Joseph E. Solomon we have monthly
neighborhood crime-watch meetings and annual business
crime-watch meetings. These meetings aim at the twin
goals of crime reduction and prevention. Preventing crime
is far better than reacting to crime that has already
occurred.
Chief Solomon’s proactive approach to crime is
reflected in the following specific examples of
achievement made by the Methuen Police Department under
his leadership:
* Chief Joe Solomon has implemented programs and
procedures to improve the ability of the Police
Department to respond to major emergencies by creating
the Homeland Security and Drug Intervention Unit.
* Under Chief Joe Solomon, Methuen police officers have
been trained by the U.S. Coast Guard to coordinate
actions to prevent and respond to river-targeted
emergency situations and possible terrorist incidents.
* Chief Solomon established a Traffic Unit to help reduce
traffic accidents and injuries.
* Chief Solomon has established and expanded a Motorcycle
Unit, with trained officers to assist with traffic
control, escorts and patrol. 
* The chief is an active participant in the growing
neighborhood watch groups.
* He has established a very effective crime prevention
program.
* He has expanded a highly professionally trained
Criminal Investigation Division.
* Chief Solomon applied for and secured a 1.5 million
dollar WEED and SEED grant to help to teach our children
and elder citizens how to use computers.
* The chief has established a safe haven where kids in
Methuen can be shielded away from drugs, gangs and crime
while learning the best ways to succeed in school.
* The chief has encouraged and will continue to support
the churches’ drug and alcohol rehabilitation
programs.
* He has maintained and increased excellent cooperation
with all law enforcement agencies and volunteer
organizations, the emergency medical services and its
personnel, Fire Departments, and other groups concerned
about citizens’ welfare.
* He has established one of the first programs placing
school resource officers in every public school in the
city. This has allowed these officers to interact with
and be a resource for principals, teachers,
administrators, and students, and present a positive
image of the police. These resource officers establish
and maintain various youth programs such as drug and
alcohol education, child safety, and bicycle safety; they
address students, assemblies, and special interest clubs
on subjects directly related to these programs. Officers
work with school officials and parent groups to safeguard
the safety of students and staff on and around school
grounds.
The chief established a Special Police Operations Unit
that has trained to respond to emergencies at each of our
schools.
* Chief Solomon has led the charge to be the first in the
commonwealth to put into place and test an emergency lock
down procedure of our schools to ensure the safety of our
children.
* Chief Solomon established a summer park program for our
children.
* He maintains a child safety car seat program with
trained officers that assist our citizens in the
protection of children in motor vehicles.
The chief helped establish and expand the Neighborhood
Services Bureau that handles quality of life issues
within our individual neighborhoods to better serve our
residents.
* He established and maintains the community policing
philosophy throughout the Police Department.
* Chief Solomon put in place a message board that is
deployed around the community and is used to get the word
out during Amber alerts.
* He has expanded traffic education to our youth in
cooperation with driver education schools.
* The chief obtained the city’s first search and
rescue K-9, which has been used in numerous occasions to
search for and locate missing children and elderly.
* He established and professionally trained
Methuen’s first Internet Investigations and
Forensics Unit. This unit works on computer crime,
forensic investigation and child Internet safety.
The fundamental truth is that the Methuen Police
Department has made great strides under Chief
Solomon’s leadership.
I have been disappointed by the political attacks
centered on the chief and the department, and I hope that
the warm political atmosphere that has occurred during
the past year has not been shattered by these obsessive
attacks on the chief. Political gossip is one thing, but
as public officials we must stay focused on the job at
hand.
As one of nine city councilors, I pledge to work
positively with my colleagues, the chief, and the mayor
to make the Methuen Police Department the very best it
can be. And I will continue to be pro-blue!
Debbie Quinn is a West End District City
Councilor in Methuen. She is in her first term and can be
reached at drq270@yahoo.com
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The December, 2006
Edition of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2006, Valley Patriot, Inc.
We publish 10,000 newspapers and distribute in Andover,
North Andover,
Methuen, Haverhill, Chelmsford, Georgetown, Groveland,
Boxford,
Lawrence, Dracut, Tewksbury, Hampton & Salisbury
Beach, and Lowell.
|
Valley Patriot Archive
Valley Patriot Story
ARCHIVES
Prior Lead
Stories
Prior
Valley Patriot Editorials
Prior Columns by ...
Tom Duggan
Dr. Chuck
Ormsby
Paula
Porten
Ralph
Wilbur
Hanna
Ted Tripp
Valley
Patriot of the Month
Griselsilva.com
Patrick
Blanchette
D.J.
Beauregard
Jim
Cassidy
D.J. Deeb
Marcos
Devers
Bob
Desmarais
Regina
Faticanti
Jim
Fiorentini
Bill Kelly
Wilfredo
Laboy
Peter
Larocque
Vilma Lora
Ed Maguire
Billy
Manzi
Paul
Murano
Mark
Palermo
Hartley
Pleshaw
Debbie
Quinn
Raise Em
Right
Dr. Peary
Kathleen
Corey Rahme
Barney
Reilly
Angel
Rivera
Jim Rurak
Grisel
Silva
Mike
Sullivan
Sandra
Stotsky
Mike
Sweeney
Ken Willette
Scott Wood
Jim
Xenakis
|