A Woodstock Early Bird contacted us very concerned at seeing a Town of Woodstock Police Department officer with the Woodstock Police cruiser issuing tickets to drivers in two different locations apparently out of “our” jurisdiction: Interstate 89 and along Route 4 in Hartford. This was last week.
Woodstock Early Bird contacted Police Chief Robbie Blish to ask the question: “What is going on here?”
Chief Blish confirmed the “sightings”. He reports Woodstock Police were assisting Vermont State Police and working with Hartford Police on a “Click-It-Or-Ticket” campaign, an effort to ensure that drivers are wearing seatbelts as they travel around the State of Vermont.
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 
Posted by Russell Pejouhy on May 30, 2012 at 10:00
Woodstock Police belong in Woodstock protecting the locals not out making money out of town.
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Posted by Bruce Seely on May 30, 2012 at 10:04
I think the Woodstock Police Chief has the best view when it comes to deploying his force. At least a better view than I.
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Posted by Rachel on May 30, 2012 at 10:14
It’s great that Woodstock police are participating throughout our larger community to keep us all safe on the roads.
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Posted by William Boardman on May 30, 2012 at 10:30
If the Woodstock police chief “deploys” his force outside of his appropriate and/or legal jurisdiction, that is an anti-democratic act consonant with the emerging police state mentality of this country. By what authority does he do this? Why would the Village Trustees think this is an appropriate use of local taxes? Why would anyone think the police chief or any other public servant should not be publicly accountable for any actions taken in the course of his public employment? If there is to be a new policy, why should it not be published in writing and publicly debated before it is implemented? Mindless deference to authority is an abdication of citizenship.
On the face of it, the chief has made an error of judgment and this should be explored by disinterested parties for the enlightenment and benefit of the public. At least that’s what would happen in a democratic government with any vitality.
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Posted by Lynn St. James on May 30, 2012 at 13:50
One is forced to ask Mr. Boardman, as a former side Judge, are you daft? First and foremost, law enforcement officers in Vermont have state wide juristidiction. Secondly, Click it or Tick it is a goverment sponsored campaign through the Govenor’s Highway Safety Program – to wit, it is not your local tax dollars paying for officers patroling outside their municipality. Lastly, why would you not support law enforcement in their efforts to ensure seatbelt use?
As the sign in front of the hardware store says, “Those who know the least, yell the loudest.”
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Posted by Ailene Faller on May 30, 2012 at 14:44
http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/2012ciot/index.html
You should educated yourself before criticizing others. Here is a link to the Government site for Click it or ticket it.
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Posted by John Peters Jr on May 30, 2012 at 16:16
For all those of you bashing the WPD this is common I have seen other PD out of their town or county for such things. Furthermore if you do not like what the PD is doing contact one of you village trustees many of the things the PD does is because of them!! It is not up to the sole decision of the officers to stop or not stop every truck that comes into town they are just doing their job and if you do yours you will not get a ticketed or be stopped.
John:
Woodstock Early Bird doesnt think anyone is at all bashing the Woodstock Police Department.
Woodstock Early Bird thinks the kernel of concern is that we be adequately covered in both Woodstock Village and Woodstock Town AND adequately informed if there are changes or aberrations in the day to day service of our police.
It may be entirely routine and it may be entirely on the “up and up” for WPD to serve assisting other law enforcement units in Vermont for a number of “good” public policy causes including “Click-It or Tick-et”.
However, there is, perhaps, a gap in providing the public with this information and the de facto Village and Town Trustee endorsement of such uses.
Historically, there has been much concern about the “sharing” of police service within the Village and Town of Woodstock. This IS something that should continue to be monitored by the citizens as well as Village Trustees and Woodstock Selectboard.
Asking that our police force be accountable is NOT bashing police. And you are correct, we should ask our Village Trustees and Woodstock Selectboard to be vigilant in that task.
Woodstock Early Bird is concerned about the issue of Village/Town sharing as we know of at least two incidences of a Village officer helping to respond to a situation in the Town and back-up not being provided on the streets of the Village. We also know of an instance in the Village in which an officer needed “back-up” and it was not immediately available. These situations, if we have limited personnel, can become tragedies. It is entirely appropriate for people to ask that their very local community have adequate “coverage” before participating in state-wide activities.
Woodstock Early Bird is glad that WPD is involved in many, many statewide and national public safety campaigns. We just hope we are not left “high and dry” because our officers are “on assignment” elsewhere.
WEB
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Posted by Russell Pejouhy on May 30, 2012 at 20:43
Thank you WEB for setting folks straight about this issue. I think that the town and village tax payers have a right to know what is going on and what police policies are. We just had a very busy weekend with hundreds of spandex bike riders racing through Woodstock on public roads and highways. I don’t think we should have some of our Police out of town on such a weekend.
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Posted by Kevin on May 30, 2012 at 21:53
From Kevin Rumrill:
Vermont Police Department’s be it local, state or county are just like your local fire departments when it comes to resources. If it weren’t for sharing or overlapping coverage where would the individual towns be at a time of crisis. Some call it mutual aide others call it joining forces, either way it accomplishes much needed resource sharing that eventually saves a life and saves money. Small town politics never change it seems, yet the world changes around the small town……
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