Bristol police holding pet supply drive for K-9 Brody’s first Christmas
Category: Police
October 7, 2020- Christy Nadalin, East Bay Newspapers
When the Bristol police station on Metacom Avenue was dedicated 42 years ago, it was lauded as one of the most up to date in New England. Of late, it’s just dated. With old linoleum floors and acoustic tiles that had long been painted over to hide years of cigarette smoke stains, the station was in dire need of some attention.
Fortunately, the department had talent in-house: Greg Silvia and John Mlynek, both senior patrol officers, were reassigned temporarily from regular patrols to painting, refinishing doors, and modernizing the office spaces.
According to Capt. Brian Burke, the Department’s chief of administration, through collective bargaining the chief can temporarily reassign officers for 90 days. It’s done routinely, primarily in the detective division, which allows patrol officers to spend time doing a different kind of police work.
“If these officers weren’t officers, they’d be craftsmen,” said Chief Kevin Lynch. “Calls were down, crime was down, establishments were closed … we were kind of bumping into each other here, to be honest. So we put their talents to work.”
October 7, 2020- Christy Nadalin, East Bay Newspapers
On Wednesday morning, members of the Bristol Police Department and local officials gathered at Fire Department headquarters for an annual training session on recognizing and understanding bias in policing. Sgt. Wesley Pennington of the Rhode Island State Police served as the administrator of the training, assisted by Trooper Krystal Carvalho.
Members of the community as well as local officials were included in the conversation, which was held both as a standard best practice as well as a requirement for maintaining the department’s national accreditation.
In opening the event, Police Chief Kevin Lynch praised his department for maintaining high standards of excellence, while adding that there is always room for improvement. Citing a 2018 story that identified some anomalies in the proportion of minorities cited for traffic violations in Bristol, where 94 percent of residents are caucasian, he noted that the data was skewed due to the fact that 60 percent of those traffic stops were not Bristol residents but rather those coming and going from Colt State Park, a popular summer destination.
On Monday, April 6, 2020 in a ceremony held in the office of the Chief of Police; K-9 Brody was officially sworn in as a member of the Bristol Police Department. K-9 Brody’s role will be that of a Comfort and Therapy dog.
K9 Brody is the first Comfort and Therapy dog for the Bristol Police Department; he is also the fourth comfort and therapy dog to be utilized by police departments in the state. The other communities utilizing comfort dogs in their respective police departments are Cranston, Pawtucket and Providence.
K-9 Brody’s name is a mix of two words; the “B” represents Bristol, the “rody” represents Rhode Island.
K9 Brody is a full bred Chocolate English Labrador Retriever and he was donated to the town by Boonefield Labradors in Rindge, New Hampshire. Boonefield Labradors have an excellent and well respected reputation for breeding comfort and therapy dogs.
Over the coming year, K9 Brody, assisted by his handler; School Resource Officer Keith Medeiros will be a Comfort Dog in Training.
Once he’s fully trained, K9 Brody’s job will be that of providing a soothing environment to people during investigations. He’ll also help to reduce anxiety and stress for citizens, witnesses and investigators. Brody will also be working with Officer Medeiros in the Bristol Warren Regional School District and will be involved in school activities.
Additionally, Brody will also be visiting the Rhode Island Veteran’s Home, Rogers Free Library, the Bristol Senior Center, Roger Williams University and many other establishments in the community.
The Town of Bristol would like to thank the following benefactors; for if it were not for their dedication and generosity, this program would not have come to fruition:
- Peggy & Dave Brogan – Boonefield Labradors located in Rindge, New Hampshire.
- Bristol County Elk’s Lodge #1860
- Wade R. Cordy, DVM – Harbor Animal Hospital for providing veterinary services
- Jessica Geas – Petrichor K9 Training
- Brett and Sherri DeChaine, Jocelyn and Lori – Woof! Woof! Pet Boutique and Biscuit Bar
- Officer Brad McNamara and K9 Hank of the Lunenburg Police Department, Lunenburg, Massachusetts
- Officer Nathan Hawkins and K9 Merle of the Westminster Police Department, Westminster, Massachusetts
For up to date information on K9 Brody’s progress; follow him on his social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook.
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The Bristol Police Department is pleased to announce the implementation of a cell phone and web based application which will allow citizens to report tips to us. Our ability to solve crimes, and create a safer town has a lot to do with the involvement of its citizens.
This department is embracing new technologies which will allow us to open up a two-way line of communication which will enable citizens to anonymously provide us information which will assist us in the solving of crimes and create a safer community. You can even attach photographs and videos after you submit an initial tip!
When you submit a tip via any of the three options listed below, it is sent to a 3rd party tip service, which acts as a privacy buffer between you and the Bristol Police Department in order to protect your identity and your contact information.
If you have a tip for the Bristol Police Department, you can utilize any of the three options listed below to help provide vital information on crimes, criminals, or those engaging in illicit or criminal activity which will assist us in keeping the Town of Bristol safe for everyone.
For full information, please visit the link below:
Categories
Stolen Vehicle – Pursuit Arrests
Contact Person:
Brian B. Burke, Interim Chief of Police
Bristol, RI– On August 8, 2019, at approximately 5:50pm, Patrolman Kyle Batista stopped a 2013 Honda Fit at the intersection of Wood St and Mt. Hope Ave, for a motor vehicle violation. A registration check of the vehicle revealed the vehicle was stolen from Providence, RI. The vehicle suddenly drove away from the stop, turning east on Mt. Hope Ave, at which time Patrolman Batista pursued after the vehicle. From Mt. Hope Ave, the vehicle turned north onto Metacom Ave then west onto State St eventually entering the State Street Dock and coming to a stop. A male operator, later identified as Danny Rodrigues, age
28 of Providence, RI and female passenger, later identified as Nicole Pacheco, age 31 of Bristol, RI, exited the vehicle and ran from the scene. Both subjects were taken into custody, without incident, by Bristol Police after a short foot pursuit.
A subsequent search of the vehicle by police resulted in the discovery of two 9 mm ammunition rounds and items associated with the use of narcotics. These items were seized and will sent for analysis at a later date.
A search of the vehicle and the surrounding area of the foot pursuit was conducted by Deputy Kenneth Almeida and his K-9 “Will” from the Bristol County, Massachusetts, Sheriff’s Office. No further contraband was discovered during the K-9 search.
Rodrigues and Pacheco were each charged with:
1. Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicle;
2. Eluding Police;
3. Obstruction; and
4. Resisting Arrest.
Rodrigues was also charged with Operating on a Suspended License and issued several motor vehicle citations. Pacheco also had several outstanding Superior Court and District Court bench warrants. Rodrigues and Pacheco appeared before a Bail Commissioner and were held on $10,000 surety bail and transferred to the ACI. Both subjects will appear in 6th District Court this morning (8/9/19) for arraignment.
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