On the drive back from shopping, somewhere around Dunkin Donuts on Loudon Rd. I began to smell smoke.
As I continued down the hill towards the arena the smell was so strong that I had to close all the car windows. I can't be certain because it's dark but I'm pretty sure there was the haze of smoke. As I drove on I was looking around for emergency lights or the light from a fire but nothing was visible.
The smell reminded me of a trash fire or something of that nature and the large area that I could smell it made me think it was serious.
Somewhere around the intersection of 93 a Concord police cruiser passed going the opposite way so at that point I figured that they might be going to check things out. Actually I thought (due to the intensity of the smell, etc.) that someone must have reported it to the police/fire dept. by that time so there was no need for me to call.
When I got home I decided to call anyway, mainly to ask what the source was, so I called the regular police number (not 911). When I did the woman who answered didn't seem to be aware of the situation and transferred me to the Fire Dept..
Strangely they didn't seem to know anything about it either which was troubling because it had now been close to 15 minutes since I saw the police cruiser driving into the area!
I find it hard to believe that the officer couldn't have smelled the smoke/fumes even if his windows were closed. I also find it disappointing that I was the first one to report something so obvious.
Since then I haven't heard any sirens, which doesn't necessarily mean much, but does mean that there's nothing big going on anyway. I'll be interested to find out what the source was and though I'm tempted to call the Fire Department now I will wait until daytime.
Wait.... my brain just clicked into gear.. (D'oh!) I have a scanner stored [somewhere] that I haven't used since the police started using that 'trunked' system or whatever it's called (you could only hear one side of the conversation, which is annoying). Last I knew the fire communications didn't have that issue. OK, time to search the closets and hook that up..
I'll get to the bottom of this one way or another.....
UPDATE [8/27/09]: Since this incident I've noticed the same smell (albeit not as strong) when passing the Fire Dept. training area next to the Everett Arena, so unless I find out differently I'm going to assume that it's connected with that.
Showing posts with label Police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Police. Show all posts
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Dangerously Narrow City Roads
Yesterday I noticed it up on Loudon Rd. by Applebees Restaurant. Today as I was driving over by Franklin Pierce Law Center it was even worse.
I'm talking about the narrow roads people are forced to navigate in Concord.
I'm trying to figure out why some roads aren't being plowed to a reasonably safe width, and why cars are allowed to park on both sides of many streets. In some places there's barely enough room for two cars to pass each other, and other streets where there isn't even that much room.
Up on Loudon Rd. if you're in the right-hand lane heading east you are forced into the left lane in places because literally half of the right lane is taken up by the snow bank.
Someone needs to explain to me why the plow drivers don't plow the snow the full width of the road [everywhere]. I'd also like to know why this situation is allowed to persist for so long. I would hope that as the Concord Police and/or the supervisors from the Highway Department drive around Concord they would see this (it's hard to miss) and report it. It shouldn't ever get to the point where it is now.
I hate to say much concerning the plow drivers this year. They've had it rough. But now it's become a safety matter, especially when combined with the fact that the sidewalks are impassible and pedestrians are forced into the streets.
Narrow streets, cars parked on both sides, and pedestrians forced to walk in the road is a recipe for accidents and possibly even fatalities. I can understand that on some streets where houses are close to the side of the road it might be impossible to push the snow back any further, but on the streets I've mentioned that's not the case. There's no excuse for letting the snow banks encroach into the road to the point that cars have to cross into the opposite lane. That's unacceptable and threatens the safety of drivers.
I didn't see a single car ticketed that was parked on the sides of any of the streets over by the Law Center, or anywhere else for that matter. Isn't that the job of our Police department? To maintain safety on our streets and in our community? From the dangerous drives around Concord I've had lately I'd have to say they've dropped the ball, as have the supervisors in the Highway Dept.
*UPDATE [2/23/09] - Almost a year later and I see the same thing happening (in the same places). On top of that, I reported unshoveled and icy steps leading to the new parking garage to a young Concord Police officer I saw at D'Angelos afterwards only to be told to "report it myself"!
Not in a mean-spirited way, but all the same I was under the impression that the police were there 'To Protect and Serve' and this was a 'public safety issue' was it not?
I immediately thought about what the City Atty's office would think of this. I've personally slipped more than once on those steps and the ones by the dumpster and I'm relatively fit. What about older folks?
At the end of the day shouldn't someone from the city make sure ALL city property is safe and kept that way?
Update 2: - I want to add that overall the great majority of Concord Police officers have been helpful and professional, and it's not fair to them to be tainted by the actions of [the inevitable few] 'bad apples'!
I'm talking about the narrow roads people are forced to navigate in Concord.
I'm trying to figure out why some roads aren't being plowed to a reasonably safe width, and why cars are allowed to park on both sides of many streets. In some places there's barely enough room for two cars to pass each other, and other streets where there isn't even that much room.
Up on Loudon Rd. if you're in the right-hand lane heading east you are forced into the left lane in places because literally half of the right lane is taken up by the snow bank.
Someone needs to explain to me why the plow drivers don't plow the snow the full width of the road [everywhere]. I'd also like to know why this situation is allowed to persist for so long. I would hope that as the Concord Police and/or the supervisors from the Highway Department drive around Concord they would see this (it's hard to miss) and report it. It shouldn't ever get to the point where it is now.
I hate to say much concerning the plow drivers this year. They've had it rough. But now it's become a safety matter, especially when combined with the fact that the sidewalks are impassible and pedestrians are forced into the streets.
Narrow streets, cars parked on both sides, and pedestrians forced to walk in the road is a recipe for accidents and possibly even fatalities. I can understand that on some streets where houses are close to the side of the road it might be impossible to push the snow back any further, but on the streets I've mentioned that's not the case. There's no excuse for letting the snow banks encroach into the road to the point that cars have to cross into the opposite lane. That's unacceptable and threatens the safety of drivers.
I didn't see a single car ticketed that was parked on the sides of any of the streets over by the Law Center, or anywhere else for that matter. Isn't that the job of our Police department? To maintain safety on our streets and in our community? From the dangerous drives around Concord I've had lately I'd have to say they've dropped the ball, as have the supervisors in the Highway Dept.
*UPDATE [2/23/09] - Almost a year later and I see the same thing happening (in the same places). On top of that, I reported unshoveled and icy steps leading to the new parking garage to a young Concord Police officer I saw at D'Angelos afterwards only to be told to "report it myself"!
Not in a mean-spirited way, but all the same I was under the impression that the police were there 'To Protect and Serve' and this was a 'public safety issue' was it not?
I immediately thought about what the City Atty's office would think of this. I've personally slipped more than once on those steps and the ones by the dumpster and I'm relatively fit. What about older folks?
At the end of the day shouldn't someone from the city make sure ALL city property is safe and kept that way?
Update 2: - I want to add that overall the great majority of Concord Police officers have been helpful and professional, and it's not fair to them to be tainted by the actions of [the inevitable few] 'bad apples'!
Friday, December 14, 2007
What A Difference!
I just spoke with a woman in the City Clerk's office who epitomizes what a thoughtful, caring, public employee should be. I wish I'd remembered to get her name but nonetheless she is to be commended. She was pleasant, helpful, and actually seemed to care about helping me!
Imagine that!
The Concord Police Dispatcher who hung up on me early this morning should take notes from this wonderful woman as to how you deal with a citizen with a problem.
(As I said in my previous post, the officer I spoke with when I called back was a professional, took the time to hear me out and explained the situation)
In calling the City Clerk's office for the phone number of my City Councilman she also helped me with other suggestions, such as who to speak to in the General Services Dept.. She emphasized that my Councilman and the great people over at General Services would want to know about my concerns.
I always try to look at both sides of issues, and I know that people have good and bad days, but in jobs where you deal with the public (and Police Dispatch is NOT an easy job by any measure) you have to have people who maintain their professionalism at all times.
I do have to wonder though, what kind of leadership the police department has lately. In the 20 years I've lived here I can't recall so many negative incidents involving the department. I realize that they're short-staffed, and that could contribute in some ways to this behavior. I have maintain hope that the leaders in the department are working to reverse this trend of unprofessional behavior.
We want to be proud and supportive of our police force, not embarrassed or fearful. Police and Fire men and women have incredibly dangerous and critical jobs to do. Anyone who opts for those professions is to be commended and supported, but they have a responsibility to remember who they're working for, and to maintain the highest standards possible. In my experience that has been the case most of the time, but this latest experience has left me concerned.
To conclude, this woman I spoke with today in the City Clerk's office restored my faith that there are good, caring, professional people working for the city of Concord. That level of excellence is what all departments should strive for.
Imagine that!
The Concord Police Dispatcher who hung up on me early this morning should take notes from this wonderful woman as to how you deal with a citizen with a problem.
(As I said in my previous post, the officer I spoke with when I called back was a professional, took the time to hear me out and explained the situation)
In calling the City Clerk's office for the phone number of my City Councilman she also helped me with other suggestions, such as who to speak to in the General Services Dept.. She emphasized that my Councilman and the great people over at General Services would want to know about my concerns.
I always try to look at both sides of issues, and I know that people have good and bad days, but in jobs where you deal with the public (and Police Dispatch is NOT an easy job by any measure) you have to have people who maintain their professionalism at all times.
I do have to wonder though, what kind of leadership the police department has lately. In the 20 years I've lived here I can't recall so many negative incidents involving the department. I realize that they're short-staffed, and that could contribute in some ways to this behavior. I have maintain hope that the leaders in the department are working to reverse this trend of unprofessional behavior.
We want to be proud and supportive of our police force, not embarrassed or fearful. Police and Fire men and women have incredibly dangerous and critical jobs to do. Anyone who opts for those professions is to be commended and supported, but they have a responsibility to remember who they're working for, and to maintain the highest standards possible. In my experience that has been the case most of the time, but this latest experience has left me concerned.
To conclude, this woman I spoke with today in the City Clerk's office restored my faith that there are good, caring, professional people working for the city of Concord. That level of excellence is what all departments should strive for.
What Has Happened To Concord's Police Department?
This is hard for me to understand. Especially with all the negative press they've had lately. But unfortunately this morning at around 1:50 AM another representative of the Concord Police department has given them a black eye when dealing with the public. About fifteen minutes before that someone woke up everyone in the building who lives on the side facing the new Concord Commons building when someone from the city crew that was clearing snow used a snow blower to clear the alleyway between the buildings! If that wasn't bad enough, after they were done they continued with shoveling (that's what they should have done with the small amount of snow in the alley in the first place), but the person doing it kept banging his shovel on the wall of the building to knock the snow off. I finally opened my window and yelled at him that there were people trying to sleep up here, to which he yelled something belligerent! At that point I decided to call the police to make a noise complaint.
I called their non-emergency line, a woman answered the call and I proceeded to explain what the problem was. She immediately stated "there's nothing we're going to do about that"....
I started to say "but I thought there were noise laws...". The next thing I knew she had hung up on me. I just sat there, still holding the phone to my ear for close to a minute, trying to contemplate what had just happened. Just a few minutes before I was sleeping soundly, and now I was literally shaking with disbelief. I sat there for another minute or so and called the police back. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but I couldn't, and wouldn't stand for that kind of rude behavior from people who work for the public!
When the phone was answered it was by someone who identified himself as the shift supervisor. I explained what had just happened, along with my original complaint. This time I got a courteous person who took the time to listen to my complaint, and even though he also said there was nothing they could do, he explained that it was because because the snow removal crews weren't subject to the same noise laws that everyone else is.
He apologized for the behavior of the previous person and listened patiently as I continued to go on that I was able to understand the need to clear the streets at night, but that the job could have been done by shoveling alone instead of a snowblower, and also that the person doing it should have been more thoughtful towards the residents and definitely not belligerent like he was when told he was waking people up.
In all my dealings with the Concord Police over the years 99% of them have been professional and courteous. Every one of them was polite and helpful (except for that one rookie who treated me like a criminal after my late father's car had been towed away and I was distraught). That 99% seem like genuinely nice people. I have the utmost respect for them and the dangerous job they do, and the last thing they need is another example of one of them being rude to the people who pay their salary. What this woman who answered my call did was take a bad situation and compounded it by being curt and rude.
I'll be speaking to our local and state representatives about this latest episode and we'll find out what they have to say about it.
And one last thought.... The episode I just read about in the police log regarding a man who had just been released from prison after 30 years and was homeless was troubling. Sure he had been told to leave the building and was technically "trespassing" , but instead of arresting him, the human thing to do would have been to find him shelter for the night and steer him towards a public assistance program. Instead they sent him back into the system. How cold and heartless can you get? That's not the kind of society I want to belong to, and it's not the kind of society I believe we should strive for. Shame on the officer who made the decision to arrest him instead of giving him the help he so obviously needed.
I called their non-emergency line, a woman answered the call and I proceeded to explain what the problem was. She immediately stated "there's nothing we're going to do about that"....
I started to say "but I thought there were noise laws...". The next thing I knew she had hung up on me. I just sat there, still holding the phone to my ear for close to a minute, trying to contemplate what had just happened. Just a few minutes before I was sleeping soundly, and now I was literally shaking with disbelief. I sat there for another minute or so and called the police back. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but I couldn't, and wouldn't stand for that kind of rude behavior from people who work for the public!
When the phone was answered it was by someone who identified himself as the shift supervisor. I explained what had just happened, along with my original complaint. This time I got a courteous person who took the time to listen to my complaint, and even though he also said there was nothing they could do, he explained that it was because because the snow removal crews weren't subject to the same noise laws that everyone else is.
He apologized for the behavior of the previous person and listened patiently as I continued to go on that I was able to understand the need to clear the streets at night, but that the job could have been done by shoveling alone instead of a snowblower, and also that the person doing it should have been more thoughtful towards the residents and definitely not belligerent like he was when told he was waking people up.
In all my dealings with the Concord Police over the years 99% of them have been professional and courteous. Every one of them was polite and helpful (except for that one rookie who treated me like a criminal after my late father's car had been towed away and I was distraught). That 99% seem like genuinely nice people. I have the utmost respect for them and the dangerous job they do, and the last thing they need is another example of one of them being rude to the people who pay their salary. What this woman who answered my call did was take a bad situation and compounded it by being curt and rude.
I'll be speaking to our local and state representatives about this latest episode and we'll find out what they have to say about it.
And one last thought.... The episode I just read about in the police log regarding a man who had just been released from prison after 30 years and was homeless was troubling. Sure he had been told to leave the building and was technically "trespassing" , but instead of arresting him, the human thing to do would have been to find him shelter for the night and steer him towards a public assistance program. Instead they sent him back into the system. How cold and heartless can you get? That's not the kind of society I want to belong to, and it's not the kind of society I believe we should strive for. Shame on the officer who made the decision to arrest him instead of giving him the help he so obviously needed.
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