Blandford Chief of Police Dan Ilnicky. (Photo by Amy Porter)
BLANDFORD – After two weeks on the job, Blandford Police Chief Dan Ilnicky gave a report to the Board of Selectmen Monday on his initial assessment of the town’s Police Department. Ilnicky, who is part time in Blandford, is also the part-time police chief in the town of Chester.
Ilnicky said his goal is full transparency in the department. Assessing town communications, he cited the need for a direct line at all times with the selectmen and the town administrator. He also will be working on setting up communications with the Blandford Fire Department and ambulance services; Highway and Water departments, the Massachusetts State Police and the police in mutual aid communities.
For the community, Ilnicky said he wants them to know how to reach the police department. He has established walk-in hours for the public on the first and third Mondays of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. for firearms licensing, hunting permits and general police services. He also plans to establish a community policing model for his other hours, and said he spent some time at the transfer station on Saturday meeting residents.
“I’ve been in town a few times on patrol. Everyone I’ve met has been an absolute pleasure,” Ilnicky said.
Ilnicky has also begun to assess the equipment in the department, one of the complaints by the previous police chief and officers who resigned en masse on July 30, citing unsafe working conditions. Ilnicky confirmed that there are some issues with the equipment. He said one of the two Crown Victoria patrol cars has a drainage problem with its battery, and is currently dead.
Another focus will be the interoperability of radio and dispatch between police, state police, highway, fire and ambulance. He said there are a couple of pockets in town that are difficult for radio communication, another complaint by the former officers.
Currently, Ilnicky is the sole member of the police department. He said there are areas in town to use officers on patrol, such as for investigations, for public response, event coverage and emergencies. He is assessing how the department will be structured, and what it will need in financial support from the town based on that structure.
“Eventually, I’ll be able to identify long term and short term goals, and what we might want to invest in,” Ilnicky said to the selectmen.
Blandford Town Clerk Mary Kronholm swears in Chief of Police Dan Ilnicky at the Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Another area of identified need is the record management system, which he said is “not good.” He said records were kept in a word processing program, and reports can’t be pulled by name and location.
“You don’t have a history that we routinely respond to an address,” asked Selectman Eric McVey for clarification. Ilnicky said he recommended a computer-based record system that can be tracked by name and location.
Town Clerk Mary Kronholm, who swore the chief in at the end of the meeting, suggested that he cross reference calls with the State Police.
Ilnicky said he has updated the phone voice mail system and re-established the Police Department email. He has also updated the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services.
When asked where the town stands on the backlog of licenses, Ilnicky said he has one left of the 24 that were in backlog, and another 19 requests have just come in.
Selectman Cara Letendre asked if the chief was in touch with the State Police regarding roads and speeders. “I advise them when I’m on. They handle calls in my absence, and notify me,” Ilnicky said.
Chief of Police Dan Ilnicky and Blandford resident Richard Meczywor. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Resident Richard Meczywor, who had joined the meeting while waiting to renew his FID card, said there is a problem with cars speeding down North Blandford Road, which has a 30 mph limit, at 50-60-70 mph, and asked what could be done. He said his house is on a blind corner on the road, and is worried about his children and grandchildren’s safety.
“Your comment is the most frequent comment I’ve heard,” Ilnicky said, adding that the department could make a presence in the area. McVey asked if Ilnicky would mention the area to the State Police to patrol.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Chief Ilnicky left the meeting to take care of Meczywor’s FID renewal.
“I’ve been a chief over nine years,” Ilnicky said, referring to his position with the town of Chester. “It’s a matter of being standardized; doing things the right way, and taking care of things that need to be taken care of,” he added.
Town Administrator Joshua Garcia announced later in the meeting that Blandford and Chester will receive a $15,000 grant from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission’s Division of Local Technical Assistance for a joint study to explore a combined police force between the two towns. The study will also include a public informational session.
