Rotary supports police
The Westfield Rotary Club was visited by Sgt. Jeffrey Baillargeon, the commander of the Westfield Police Department’s Special Response Team. He attended the club’s regular weekly meeting on Monday, February 22, 2016, and spoke about his team’s mission and their capabilities to meet whatever threats they encounter.
Baillargeon has been an officer with the Westfield Police Department since 1995 when he was released from active duty in the U.S. Army. At the department he has served as a patrol officer, patrol supervisor, firearm instructor, Taser instructor, Field Training Officer Program coordinator, and SRT commander. He also established a school safety program for the city’s public schools and St. Mary’s parochial schools. In addition, he advises private businesses on how to protect against workplace violence.
The SRT in Westfield is what would be in many cities (and virtually all television shows) would be called a SWAT. The team was first established in 1999 by Baillargeon and Lt. Paul Kousch and operated with 10 officers. The team has evolved and expanded since that time and is currently made up of 12 exceptional officers from all bureaus of the police department.
The SRT’s mission is to provide special services to the department in critical situations. The officers on the team are trained in weapons, tactics and techniques that exceed the capability of other units in the department. Each officer has received training to respond to situations including barricaded suspects, hostage rescue, search and rescue, high risk warrant service, narcotics raids, vehicle and bus take-downs and active shooter situations with the ultimate goal of bringing any situation they encounter to a peaceful conclusion. Each officer is also trained to render more advanced first aid than rank-and-file officers.
To perform their special services, the members of the team require special equipment. Officers on the team have been assigned both a service handgun and a rifle. They are equipped with a ballistic helmet and a heavy tactical ballistic vest. The team also utilizes breaching gear, ballistic shields, video surveillance equipment, and other specialized tools. However, much of the equipment used by the officers is more than 15 years old.
The tactical ballistic vests are long past their 5 year manufacturer-suggested replacement date and fortunately the department has recently purchased new vests, as well new helmets.
The tactical ballistic vests are long past their 5 year manufacturer-suggested replacement date and fortunately the department has recently purchased new vests, as well new helmets.
The new vests, however, are without ballistic plates. The normal vest worn by officers daily only protects from handgun munitions but ballistic plates protect officers from ‘special threat munitions’ such as rifle rounds.
Many shootings are done with rifles which the off-the-shelf vest does not protect against. Due to the mission of the SRT and the dangerous situations it routinely faces, the ballistic plates are essential to the safety and survival of the SRT officers.
The Westfield Rotary Club has an interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the community and is pleased to have an excellent relationship with the city’s police so the members are pleased to be able to assist the SRT. Due to the support the club received from community members and sponsors when it hosted a Food Fest in August 2015, the Rotary Club of Westfield members are honored be able to purchase 26 ballistic plates for the Special Response Team. President Jennifer Gruszka presented a check in the amount of $3,614 to Baillargeon for this purchase.
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