Two Veteran Billerica Police Officers Promoted to Lieutenant

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Elmore_West

Lt. Steve Elmore (left) and Lt. Bill West (right)

Billerica – Effective Sunday, December 5, 2021, the Billerica Police Department has promoted two veteran Police Officers to the rank of Lieutenant. Acting Chiefs Ronald Balboni and Troy Opland are honored to announce the promotions of Steven Elmore and William West. Lt Steven Elmore is a 34-year veteran officer with the Billerica Police Department, having served the past 21-years in the rank of Sergeant. Prior to his promotion, Lt Elmore has overseen the department’s Traffic Bureau, which is responsible for all matters related to traffic safety and enforcement. In addition to his time overseeing the Traffic Bureau, Lt Elmore served the department as a patrol supervisor and also completed multiple assignments in the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

Lt William West is a 28-year veteran officer with the Billerica Police Department and also a military Veteran. Prior to his promotion, Lt West served his last ten years as a Patrol Sergeant where he supervised patrol officers in their day-to-day operations. Prior to his assignment as a Patrol Sergeant, Lt. West served twelve years as a Detective in the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

Both Lieutenants Steve Elmore and William West are life long Billerica residents where they live with families. Both are very active in the community and represent the best of the Billerica Police. We are all very excited for their promotion and congratulate them on this impressive accomplishment.

Front Line Initiative Shares Results with Rep. Seth Moulton, Highlighting Over $8M in Taxpayer Savings, 948 Arrest Diversions

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Front Line Initiative

From left, Tyngsborough Police Deputy Chief Shawn Woods, Dracut Deputy Chief David Chartrand, Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney, Tyngsborough Police Chief Richard Howe, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus, Billerica Police Deputy Chief Roy Frost, and Dracut Police Chief Peter Bartlett. (Photo Courtesy Front Line Initiative)

TEWKSBURY — The Front Line Initiative and its member police departments were pleased to share in a recent presentation to U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton that the regional mental-health collaborative saved taxpayers in member communities over $8 million, diverted 1,431 individuals from emergency room visits, and diverted 948 individuals from arrest.

The Front Line Initiative is a collaborative effort between Billerica Police, Chelmsford Police, Dracut Police, Tewksbury Police and Tyngsborough Police aimed at providing a direct connection to holistic, trauma-informed behavioral health and substance use disorder resources.

In the past three years, the Front Line Initiative has made 5,835 referrals for mental health services, diverted 1,431 individuals from unnecessary emergency room visits, and diverted 948 individuals from arrest.

Those diversions saved taxpayers in member communities and estimated $5.72 million on unnecessary emergency room visits and an estimated $2.37 million on unnecessary arrests, all while also providing services to individuals who are not involved with police.

“The Frontline Initiative is a compassionate, effective, and transformative approach to policing,” said Rep. Moulton. “The results clearly show that this program works, not just because it saves taxpayers’ money, but also because it forces us to treat mental health and substance use as health issues, not crimes. Not to mention, this collaborative demonstrates that when professionals who are trained to handle crises work in tandem with the police, communities are better and safer for it.”

“Police officers in the 21st century are on the front lines of our nation’s mental health crisis, and we must adjust our strategies, training, and resources to do our best for individuals who are facing mental health issues, and our communities,” said Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus. “The Front Line Initiative is an innovative, collaborative effort to take a community-focused leadership role in modern policing, and we are seeing truly groundbreaking results as a result of the work that is being done.”

Formed as a local program in Tewksbury in 2011 — then known as the Bridge Outreach Program — The Front Line Initiative became a regional partnership in 2016, and launched a rebranded, data-driven co-response program in all five member communities in 2018.

The collaborative expanded dramatically thanks to seven new grants received since 2019, increasing staff from two to 13 employees and expanding programming.

“We had high hopes when we teamed up and launched this collaborative effort in 2016, and we are seeing real results and life-changing outcomes for individuals who reach out or get referred for help,” said Tyngsborough Police Chief Richard Howe. “Its an incredible asset to responding officers to have mental health clinicians who can co-respond with them thanks to the Front Line Initiative. I am proud that the Tyngsborough Police Department is part of this effort.”

Programs provided by the Front Line Initiative now include:

  • Prevention — Staff members engage with community groups, schools and civic organizations to help raise awareness and share resources to help those facing behavioral health or substance use disorder issues.
  • Crisis Response — Clinicians respond along with police when individuals are in crisis to help divert patients from unnecessary emergency room visits and unnecessary arrests.
  • Recovery Support — Staff members provide ongoing access to recovery programs, resources and supports in both individual and group formats.
  • Training — Staff members provide a wide variety of training for police officers and community members, including on mental health first aid.

The presentation to Rep. Moulton was part of an ongoing outreach effort being conducted by Front Line Initiative Executive Director Matthew Page-Shelton to share news of the collaborative’s services and data on the collaborative’s results in member communities.

“Community policing is about far more than just making arrests. It’s also about working with local partners and other stakeholders to provide resources to the community, and working to prevent and address issues before arrests are necessary,” said Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney. “This kind of collaborative effort helps us ensure that individuals in need will get follow-up care, information and treatment that can help change their lives for the better.”

“This groundbreaking program enables us to contribute to our community in a hugely important way by helping to ensure those facing mental health issues have access to follow up care and resources,” said Dracut Police Chief Peter Bartlett. “I’m pleased the Dracut Police Department can be part of this effort to offer resources to our community.”

Individuals do not have to be involved with police to be referred to the Front Line Initiative’s programs, which are available to everyone in member communities regardless of insurance, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual preference, age, or race.

“We are extremely thankful to be a part of the Front Line Initiative. The entire Billerica community has benefited from the robust resources this initiative has provided,” said Billerica Police Deputy Chief Roy Frost. “Whether it be through co-response or follow-up with a certified Mental Health Clinician, or through improved access to specialized Crisis Intervention Training for our sworn officers, we have seen increasingly positive outcomes for individuals suffering from a crisis.”

To access services provided by the Front Line Initiative, please call the Clinical Support Team at 978-215-9642. The service is accessible 24/7. In case of an emergency, please call 911.

To access a variety of behavioral health and substance use disorder resources compiled by the Front Line Initiative online in partnership with Credible Mind, click here.

The Billerica Police Department received a donation from the Kennek Foundation with “Trouble the Dog”

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BILLERICA  – Thanks to the Kennek Foundation, the Billerica Police Department is able to bring Trouble the Dog to comfort young children in our community during times of crisis. This week, Kennek Foundation founder and children’s author, Sheila Duncan, along with members of the Merrimack Valley Harley Owners Group chapter donated a dozen of the custom-made dogs to First Responders when responding to a scene involving a young child. These soft plush custom-made stuffed dogs can often bring some level of comfort to a child during the often chaotic period of time at a time when First Responders are working to stabilize a scene. Thanks to a recent Merrimack Valley HOG fundraising ride this past September, the Kennek Foundation was able to donate these items to our community.

For more information on this amazing program, please visit their website at “thekennekfoundation.org” or their Facebook page.

The Merrimack Valley HOG Chapter members in the photo left to right are:
Bernie Lach, Paula Lach, Director, Marc Belanger, Dennis Bertulli, Erik Lekberg, Sheila Duncan founder, The Kennek Foundation, Deputy Chief Frost, Heather Lambert.

Vehicle Located in Billerica Identified as Belonging to Judy Chartier Who Has Been Missing Since 1982 – Updated 11/5/21 Remains Identified

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Update 11/5/21 – BILLERICA – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Billerica Acting Chief Troy Opland and Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney have confirmed that the remains located Wednesday in the Concord River in Billerica have been positively identified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as Judith Chartier, who had been missing since June 5, 1982.  The identification was made through dental records. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Dr. James T. Pokines, a Forensic Anthropologist, will be working with the District Attorney’s Office to reconstruct the remains in an attempt to determine a cause of death.

On November 2, 2021, investigators recovered the 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger that Ms. Chartier was driving on the day that she disappeared.  During a subsequent search of the same area, divers were able to recover human remains and personal items including a work identification badge, clothing and a small purse or wallet.

The items were located in about 10 feet of water, 15 to 20 yards from the shore.  As part of its ongoing commitment to these cases the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Cold Case unit, created by District Attorney Ryan in 2019,  in partnership with the Chelmsford and Billerica Police and Massachusetts State Police utilized sonar technology this week to return to an area of the river located about a mile from the Chartier home.

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit, Billerica Police, Chelmsford Police, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Dive Team. Particular thanks are extended to Bruce Stebbins and Hans Hug of Sonar Search and Recovery, civilian experts who utilized Edgetech Sonar System to locate the vehicle and whose assistance was critical to the investigation.

11/3/21 – BILLERICA – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Billerica Acting Chief Troy Opland and Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney have confirmed that today investigators recovered a vehicle from the Concord River that has been positively identified as the 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger that was driven by Judith Chartier on June 5, 1982.

Ms. Chartier has not been seen since that date.

As part of an ongoing investigation, the Massachusetts State Police Dive team and civilian divers located significant portions of a vehicle in the river. Today, through a match of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), those pieces were confirmed to be from Chattier’s vehicle.

On June 5, 1982, then seventeen-year-old Judith Chartier, a Chelmsford resident, disappeared after leaving a party in Billerica. Friends reported that she was last seen around 2:00 a.m.

“This is a very significant development in this case and we are still processing the car for any additional evidence. Sadly, this discovery comes after nearly forty heartbreaking years of Judith’s friends and family missing her and wondering about what happened that day. We are committed to continuing the search for those answers,” said District Attorney Ryan.

“We are grateful to all of the people working hard on behalf of Judy Chartier. We look forward to working with all parties to bring justice in this case,” added Acting Chief Opland.

“I want to commend and thank investigators from Chelmsford, Billerica, and the District Attorney’s Office for their continued efforts on this case over many years,” said Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney.

This investigation is being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit, Billerica Police, Chelmsford Police, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Dive Team. Particular thanks are extended to Bruce Stebbins and Hans Hug of Sonar Search and Recovery, civilian experts who utilized Edgetech Sonar System to locate the vehicle and whose assistance was critical to the investigation.

Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, 15 Commonwealth Avenue, 3 Floor, Woburn, MA 01801, United

The Front Line Initiative regional police co-response program secures funding for the launch of an Animal Assisted Co-Response Program

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Therapy Dog to respond with Co-Response Clinician alongside police

Billerica MA – The Front Line Initiative today announced it has secured funding through the Greater Lowell Health Alliance to launch a unique Animal Assisted Co-Response (AACoR) Program. The AACoR program will pair a mental health Co-Response clinician with a trained crisis response dog that can be called out by five area police departments including: Tewksbury, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut and Tyngsborough. The AACoR Program will be utilized to focus on behavioral health crises with a focus on those struggling with traumatic events, depression, and impacts of suicide. While the use of comfort dogs and therapy dogs are not new what makes this program unique is the embedded nature of a police co-response clinician with a crisis response animal.

The future therapy dog will be an Australian Labradoodle and will join the team in late November early December. They will begin their time in service in training thanks to the generous support of Auntie Dog in Tewksbury, MA.

“We are extremely excited to bring this additional therapeutic service to the communities we serve. The addition of the AACoR program will assist in bridging the gap of access to emergency services for those living through traumatic events. We believe in bringing innovative programming to the Greater Lowell area and we are pleased to be pioneering the way with the help of the Greater Lowell Health Alliance,” said Front Line Executive Director Matthew Page-Shelton.

The funding will be used to cover the costs associated with the launch of the Animal Assisted Co-Response Program and the implementation of the services to be provided by this team. Front Line is excited to partner with Highland Beach Labradoodle from Central Rhode Island for the future therapy dog.

“It is such a unique opportunity to be a part of a team where the innovative use of a crisis response dog can be possible in this context. I look forward to working with our therapy dog and conducting training to prepare for supporting our communities. This is a great opportunity to build partnerships with those in our communities who are in crisis. I look forward to bringing this service to those we serve in both an emergency basis as well as through outreach therapeutic support,” says Co-Response Clinician/ AACoR handler C.Knowles of Front Line Initiative.

Follow the Front Line Initiative on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates on the AACoR program and more.

Drug Take Back – October 23rd

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This Saturday October 23, 2021, from 10 AM to 2 PM the Billerica Police Department and Billerica Substance Abuse Prevention Committee will participate in Take Back Day for Prescription Medications. The location is DPW at 250 Boston Road. Please dispose of unwanted or unneeded medications properly, flushing or throwing in the trash is not proper or safe disposal. If you cannot make Saturday, BPD provides a safe disposal bin in the PD lobby. More details from DEA at the link.

DEA Drug Take Back