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12:03 p.m.: President Dave rang the bell and called the meeting to order.

 

Recitation of the 4-Way Test of the Things We Think Say or Do

Led by Tim Guaraldi.

 

Songs—Ernst Oidtmann

 

Birthday—Will Koppenheffer next week, Tuesday.

 

David forced us into our seats at 12:23 p.m.

 

Ron reminded us of his overall speakers’ theme—Getting to know our City of Lebanon.

 

SPEAKERS: Matthew Isham (pronounced: EYE-sh’m), Lebanon Deputy Chief of Police, and Captain Alan Lowe, professional standards bureau.

 

Deputy chief Matt Isham presents a PowerPoint presentation providing an overviewof the Lebanon Police Department.

 

Matt’s slide show began with an overhead shot of LPD’s Poverty Lane headquarters recently taken by the department’s drone.

 

The Lebanon Police Department will provide proactive, progressive, and professional law enforcement services while working with our community to solve problems. Officers and staff will serve the City with integrity, respect, and compassion to create a safe and desirable community.

 

Phil Roberts, police chief, has worked in the LPD for ~23 years. His office handles budget policies, leadership planning, etc. The department trains all officers and makes sure they maintain the skills they need.

Prosecution – about 900 annual arrests resulting in 6-700 going to courts.

 

Records – pistol permits and anything else the public or department need

 

LPD has earned accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). More than 400 STANDARDS must be adhered to and each year, LPD must provide data to prove it is meeting every standard.

 

This group applies for NH state grants for drug issues, etc.

The captain serves on a subcommittee of the Lebanon Planning Board reviewing development proposals.

 

Internal investigations and civilian complaints are handled here as well.

 

Every call requires a response at some level. Most of the focus here is on maintaining traffic laws, helping with the aftermath of collisions.

Patrols are on foot, mountain bike, UTV, and cars—the idea is that being visible helps prevent crime.

 

Statistics for 2023 so far: 1,900 criminal offenses, 997 arrests, 764 collisions, 5,000 traffic stops—all handled with reduced staffing.

Officers work 12-hr. shifts from 6:00–6:00.

 

LPD has one motorcycle and three canine teams celebrating their twenty years of service in drug detection and tracking when they occasionally perform for other area police departments.

 

LPD maintains a SWAT team to execute high-risk search warrants and other situations until they may need to call in the State SWAT team.

 

Crime scene processing, evidence collecting, investigation of felony-level crimes, processing registered sex offenders.

 

The Cyber Crime Unit is affiliated with the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). It carries out field investigations, conducts forensic examinations of digital evidence, and presents community educational forums involving internet safety.

LPD is very fortunate to have high-level forensic tools—thanks to our city manager and council.

 

 

The LPD uses a “problem-orientated policing approach”—it works with citizens to identify and solve persistent issues in the community before crimes are committed. The approach requires partnering with other organizations.

 

 

Special needs info program re: SPARK! The department maintains an inventory of folks with special needs—what might freak them out or make it easier to connect. Lots of info on the forms to help resolve issues. Friends, triggers, preferences. The department shares information with Hartford, Hanover, and other departments.  This kind of Information helps de-escalate and communicate.

 

Question: Paul: How many runaways?

There are a handful of habituals. The department hasn’t lost anyone yet—everyone has phones nowadays, and staff can ping and track them down or find them on social media.

 

 

The five top offenses so far in 2023:

 

 

The top concerns:

 

Drug abuse, traffic issues, homeless and transients:

 

Drug offenses—the department has a member on the state task force. The department investigates proactively, follows up calls on a “clue’ line,” does surveillance; and investigates overdoses and deaths. The department recently successfully prosecuted and jailed a perpetrator: cyber investigation helped nail the criminals.

 

Question: How difficult do burner phones make this? Alan Lowe responded: “Not much Smart phones can be pinged. Everyone wants to be on apps, especially a cash app where we could trace the transactions.”

 

The department has a NH Granite State Hammer grant to help with drug issues and it maintains a drug disposal box at Poverty Lane and elsewhere.

 

 

Interactive speed signs are used simply to collect data.

DDACTS (Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety) maps the accidents, and patrol supervisors can target those areas.

 

Red light cameras on 12A are to help the lights turn—they don’t collect data. They were struck by lightning a couple of years ago and haven’t been fixed completely.

 

Question: Jim Damren—What’s the impact on us of NH being an island surrounded by legalized marijuana states?

 

It’s tough. First-time users get a traffic ticket for $124. Second offense is $248, but the first offense isn’t logged anywhere, so if you get first marijuana ticket in Lebanon, Salem police having no way of knowing that you are getting a second ticket.

 

If MJ is legalized—the biggest concern is safety. With alcohol, the department has standards about how disabled one can be. There are standards with marijuana. Potencies aren’t regulated.

 

When we get our staffing up, we will again dedicate an officer to traffic issues.

 

 

All officers have cards with resources to give to unhoused people. The LPD partners with local social service agencies.

 

“No camping” is allowed on City property by ordinance. At first, the department educates people about the rules. We do get pop-up “villages” here and there, and officers go out with human services (Tri-County CAP) to try to get people connected with what they need.

 

Question: Steve— “How do you help the planning committee?”

 

For example: If something large like a casino wants to come in the police, fire, and public works advise the planners. Staff review the application to see if it fits the City’s needs and complies with code. Staff make a recommendation to the planning committee.

A recent example is the Centurion building being converted to child-care center.

 

The deputy chief’s presentation ended with the showing of a well-done recruiting video.

 

Bill Secord presented a book to be given to the Kilton Children’s Library on behalf of today’s speakers: Glitter Everywhere: Where It Came From, Where It Is Found and Where It Is Going by Chris Barton, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat. Related to the book’s theme, the City of Lebanon is using glitter on our crosswalks! The K-9 unit has a dog whose name in Slovakian means “Sparkle.”

 

If you love glitter, this book is for you. If you hate glitter, this book is also for you.

 

Everyone seems to have an opinion about glitter. But how much do you know about the tiny, shiny confetti? What makes glitter glitter? Why does it stick to everything? Who invented it? How is it made? Is glitter bad for the environment?

 

Chris Barton’s informative wit and Chaaya Prabhat's vibrant art make Glitter Everywhere sparkle as it covers the good, the bad, and shiny of all things glitter.

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Marion won the draw and missed the Queen of Hearts by a mile.

Bruce Pacht won the free car wash generously donated by Bruce Bergeron and Jake’s Markets.

 

 

 

The meeting ended at 1:10 p.m. with a ringing of the bell and recitation of Rotary’s motto: One profits most who serves best.

 

Future meeting schedule and speakers    
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September 7               Susan Cherry, District Governor (Rotary 7850)

               Let’s go for 100% attendance to honor our                         district leader!

September 14             Kevin Keller, Marketing Professor, Tuck School

September 21             Club Business

September 28             RYLA Student Presentation

October 5                   Amy Allen, Lebanon Superintendent of Schools

October 12                 Rico Castenada, Lt. Commander US Navy

October 19                 Cindy Heath, Gardening Presentation

October 26                 Club Business

November 2               Jim Schachter, CEO New Hampshire Public Radio

November 16             Rod Smolla, President, VT Law School

November 30             Carl Gross, Manager Lebanon Municipal Airport

December 7               Aaron Rivkin, Hopkins Center for the Arts

December 14             Ernst Oidtmann Piano Recital

December 21             Club Business

December 28             Club Business

 

 

__________________________________________________________

 

Jennifer Chambers, Associate Head of School

New England School of the Arts

 

Jennifer Chambers was our speaker at our August 24 club meeting.

Jennifer completed her undergraduate degree in Music Education from DePaul School of Music, DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and her Master’s in Vocal Performance from Hunter College in New York. Jennifer has taught in London, New York City, and most recently has been the Music Coordinator at Hanover High School for 10 years. She currently serves on the NH All State choral committee and is the President elect for the New England Music Festival Association. She holds her CAGS from New England College and is one of the founding members of NESA.

The book presented to the Kilton Library Children’s section in Jenny’s name was These Are Not the Words by Amanda West Lewis.

 

Missy’s mother has gone back to school to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. Missy’s father works in advertising and takes Missy on secret midnight excursions to Harlem and the Village so she can share his love of jazz. The two write poems for each other—poems that gradually become an exchange of apologies as Missy’s father’s alcohol and drug addiction begins to take over their lives.

 

When Missy’s mother finally decides that she and her daughter must make a fresh start, Missy has to leave her old apartment, her school, her best friend and her cats and become a latchkey kid while her mother gets a job. But she won’t give up on trying to save her family, even though this will involve a hard journey from innocence to action, and finally acceptance.

 

Based on the events and people of her own childhood, Amanda Lewis’s gorgeous novel is driven by Missy’s irresistible, optimistic voice, buoyed by the undercurrents of poetry and music.