CITY OF WORCESTER | Public Safety Committee Meeting | Wednesday, September 11, 2024 | Levi Lincoln (North) Chamber | Convened: 5:32 P.M. | Adjourned: 6:23 P.M. |
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Mayor
Joseph M. Petty | 
www.worcesterma.gov |
Clerk of the City Council
Nikolin Vangjeli | Committee Members | | Chairperson Kathleen M Toomey | | Vice Chairperson Morris A Bergman | | Councilor Luis A Ojeda |
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City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts | |
| Present Were: | Chairperson Councilor Kathleen M Toomey
Councilor Morris A Bergman | | | | | Also: | Director of Emergency Communications and Management Charles Goodwin
Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier
WPD Lieutenant Sean Murtha
Assistant Fire Chief Adam Roche
Deputy City Clerk Clare Robbins, clerk | | | |
| 1. | Virtual Attendee Call-In Information | |
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| | | 1a. | Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021 and in order to ensure active, public engagement, the City of Worcester currently allows for both in-person and remote participation at all City Council and Standing Committee meetings. To partake in the meeting, you may attend the meeting in-person within the meeting location, follow the below link to join via Zoom or dial the direct line as indicated. If you join a Zoom meeting by dialing in with a phone number, you can raise your hand by dialing *9.
Public Safety Committee Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87545787380
Public Safety Committee Zoom Phone Number: (929) 205 6099
Public Safety Committee Zoom Access Code: 875 4578 7380 | Attachments |
| 2. | Approval of the Minutes | |
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| | | 2a. | Order - That the City Council Standing Committee of Public Safety hereby approves the minutes of the Public Safety Committee meeting on August 20, 2024. | View Agenda | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor Toomey read the item and moved for a roll call vote to adopt the item. Order adopted on a roll call vote of 2 Yeas and 0 Nays (Ojeda absent) | |
| 3. | Communication of the City Manager - Department of Emergency Communications and Management | |
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| | | 3a. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the the City’s transition from Smart911 to RapidSOS.
# 10.14A CM August 27, 2024 | Attachments | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor Toomey read the item and recognized the Director of Emergency Communications and Management, who provided an overview of the item.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey discussed security encryption for personal data by RapidSOS, data retention by the program and whether insurance providers get access to the data with the Director of Emergency Communications and Management.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey recognized Interim Police Chief, who discussed whether the RapidSOS program works on Android platforms with the Director of Emergency Communications and Management.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey recognized the Assistant Fire Chief, who discussed how the program will benefit responders in emergency situations.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey recognized Councilor Bergman, who discussed the costs for the program, how to create a profile in the program, when the location data is accessible and availability of technology that informs the location and status of snow-plowing services in the winter with the Director of Emergency Communications and Management.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey discussed whether GPS is installed in WPD vehicles with the Interim Police Chief.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey brought forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning whether any departments in the city utilizes GPS services, as well as whether any departments plan to implement the usage of GPS services following contract negotiations between the city and the various unions that represent employees who would be monitored.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey recognized the Assistant Fire Chief, who discussed utilization of GPS services by the Fire Department.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey then discussed whether there is GPS utilization associated with the ShotSpotter Connect program with the Police Department.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey moved to recommend the item be filed.
Recommend File | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning whether any departments in the city utilizes GPS services, as well as whether any departments plan to implement the usage of GPS services following contract negotiations between the city and the various unions that represent employees who would be monitored. | |
| 4. | Communication of the City Manager - Fire Department | |
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| | | 4a. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the status of building the new South Division Fire Station.
# 10.12A CM August 27, 2024 | Attachments | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor Toomey read the item and recognized the Assistant Fire Chief, who provided an overview of the item.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey discussed the estimated costs to build the new fire station, how much it has increased in the past two years, modifications to the building plan to accommodate with current fire apparatus, whether there are plans concerning electric vehicle charges and plans concerning providing public parking available land at the location with the Assistant Fire Chief.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey brought forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Manager request Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility provide City Council with a report concerning potential changes that could be made to the roadways in the vicinity of the South Division Fire Station during construction of the new station to make the area more navigable for public safety vehicles and all road-users.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey recognized Councilor Bergman, who discussed whether administrative offices can be put in at the new fire station and whether the new fire station would be named after anybody or have honorary names with the Assistant Fire Chief.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey then discussed the design concerning training tower at the new fire station with the Assistant Fire Chief.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey moved to recommend the item be filed.
Recommend File | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager request Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility provide City Council with a report concerning potential changes that could be made to the roadways in the vicinity of the South Division Fire Station during construction of the new station to make the area more navigable for public safety vehicles and all road-users. | |
| 5. | Communication of the City Manager - Police Department | |
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| | | 5a. | Transmitting informational communication relative to community policing foot patrols.
# 10.13A CM August 27, 2024 | Attachments | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor Toomey read the item and recognized the Interim Police Chief, who provided an overview of the item.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey then discussed how resource router is utilized to determine the locations where foot patrol officers will go to and whether the resource router is connected to the ShotSpotter Connect program with the Interim Police Chief.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey recognized the WPD Lieutenant, who discussed the purposes and benefits of community policing foot patrols.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey recognized the Interim Police Chief, who discussed how the data for the report was obtained.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey recognized Councilor Bergman, who discussed why foot patrols have become less utilized and how bicycles will be utilized for foot patrols with the Interim Police Chief.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey then discussed summer impact program with the Interim Police Chief and WPD Lieutenant.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey brought forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Manager request Police Chief provide City Council with a report concerning the Summer Impact program.
Chairperson Councilor Toomey moved to recommend the item be filed.
Recommend File | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager request Police Chief provide City Council with a report concerning the Summer Impact program. | |
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