|
|
Photo Pru Sowers
Sgt. Carrie Lopes of the Provincetown Police Department was the only local officer in the list of four finalists who were interviewed for police chief this week.
|
|
|
Photo Pru Sowers
Ann Marie Connell, a New York City detective and commanding officer, in her police chief interview on Wednesday.
|
|
Police chief interviews finish
By Pru Sowers
Banner Staff
PROVINCETOWN – The last of the four finalists for police chief were interviewed on Wednesday.
Selectmen quizzed the two women in the group of four finalists put forth by town manager Sharon Lynn. The first interviewee Wednesday was Ann Marie Connell, a deputy inspector in the New York City Police Department.
Connell has been with the NYPD for 23 years and worked as a patrol officer and a supervisor in the internal affairs department. Currently, she is the commanding officer of the Manhattan North division, in charge of managing 200 detectives.
Connell, answering the same questions put to the two male candidates on Tuesday, said she would bring a well-rounded vision to the Provincetown police force, including substantial experience in community policing. She said she believed the major challenge in Provincetown would be how to manage the influx of tourists and second homeowners who flock to the town in the summer.
“You want to make sure you have a safe and secure environment for residents and tourists. But you need to make sure people feel comfortable being here,” she said.
Connell told selectmen she is a hands-on leader who would bring that management style to Provincetown, conducting meetings with local groups and individuals, reaching out to the community to find out the various concerns.
“If a chief projects confidence, professionalism and knowledge, that will transcend down to the department and hopefully get out to the community,” she said.
Last to be interviewed was Carrie Lopes, a sergeant in the Provincetown Police Department. Lopes first came to Provincetown as a summer police officer 24 years ago and has worked in the department since then.
She outlined what she believed were the major challenges facing the town, including the diversity of the various groups who live, work and visit here, and dealing with hate crimes and what she termed “a serious drug problem in the community.
“You need to balance all the interests of the different community with the job we have to do to provide public safety to everyone regardless of who they are or what they are,” Lopes said.
If hired as the new chief, Lopes said one of her priorities would be to reenergize the community policing program. The police department’s relationship with town residents has weakened, she said, because of the population increase in second home owners and the fact many of the officers who were originally trained in community policing have left the force.
“We need to go back to learning together what community policing is. We need to reconnect with the community,” Lopes said, adding if hired she would hold public forms and revive the citizen’s academy to teach residents how they can assist the police force.
Lynn said she hopes to have made her selection by the end of this week. If so, her recommendation could be submitted to selectmen for a confirming vote at their meeting Monday night.
|
Town Hall repairs: $6 million
Sanctuary goes native
Service for Shinder
Rec director resigns
Concerts this weekend
Candidate’s Night
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 24th, 2008