![]() ![]() Any crack in the armor, he says, is bad for all. Policing relies on public trust, said John Kleinig, a professor emeritus at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice who focuses on police ethics. Neither of the allegations - or the officers' departures - were previously made public.Īs state lawmakers debate police reform legislation, and many Americans place greater scrutiny on officer misconduct, policing experts say thefts like Clark’s can affect a department’s reputation as much as an officer using excessive force or wrongfully arresting a person. The records make up the office’s “Brady list” and include more than 100 current and former law enforcement officers who prosecutors believe may be unreliable witnesses in court because of their past conduct, or due to allegations they face.Īlso tucked into the list were two disclosures about officers facing allegations of misconduct involving their respective police unions in Billerica and Burlington. The specifics of Clark’s crime came to light only recently when it was disclosed in records WBUR received from the Middlesex DA’s office. Clark's name was listed among the more than 100 grand jury indictments announced by the Middlesex district attorney’s office in May 2019, but the office’s release mentioned nothing about the scope of his theft or his position as a police officer. News of the theft made a local blog, which didn’t name a suspect. He remains a Somerville police officer - on unpaid leave - as the city moves toward firing him.Ĭlark’s theft and conviction remained fairly quiet outside the police department. He was the union's treasurer.īy a remote hearing a month later, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clark, 42, was sentenced to two years probation. ![]() This means that every officer makes an attempt to become part of the community.In early March, after a quick, two-witness trial, Somerville police officer Shaun Clark was convicted of stealing more than $83,000 from the police union. This is why the department has embraced a "community policing' philosophy. The term "calls for service" is used by police to describe reactive activity generated by crime complaints and requests for service, as well as proactive actions such as patrols, surveillance, and walking assignments.Īlthough a majority of time spent by patrol officers is responding to calls for service, Chief of Police Charles Femino is committed to having all officers involved with the community. During each year the Somerville Police responds to approximately 45,000 calls for service. The mission of the patrol force is to help resolve the many issues for which citizens place calls for service. The officers use a variety of patrol methods including marked and unmarked police cars, bicycles, and motorcycles. If fully staffed, the officers are split so that there are usually 5-7 officers patrolling each district twenty-four hours a day. Under the Captain are two Lieutenants, three Sergeants, and up to twenty-eight patrol officers. The Patrol Officers assigned to these districts have access to write their police reports and to meet and assist citizens with a variety of issues.Ī Captain oversees b oth the East and West Districts and acts as the District Commander. The West District is located in Teele Square at 114 Broadway.īoth substations have assigned a daytime civilian clerk who is available to assist with citizen inquiries. The East District is located on lower Broadway at 81 Broadway. ![]() A police substation is located in each district. Currently, Deputy Chief Christopher Ward oversees all uniformed branches of the Somerville Police including the Patrol Division, and Traffic Bureau.įor the purpose of patrol, the City is divided into two districts, East and West. The Uniformed Patrol Division is the backbone of the police department. ![]()
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