Special Officers to be Honored at Police Open House

The Town of Merrimack was incorporated in 1746 and used constables on an “as needed” basis for police matters or keeping the peace. These original men were paid on an as needed basis out of the town budget. Around 1900, the town budgeted the constables on a part-time basis to keep the peace or enforce local laws up until 1939. In 1940, the town hired its first Chief of Police, Edmund O’Leary who was supported by three part-time or auxiliary police officers. Around 1950, the Merrimack Police Department added two full-time officers to assist the chief but was mainly supported by its special/auxiliary officer division which was made up of 10-12 local residents. The full-time staff at the Merrimack Police Department increased minimally during the 1960s. The role of the special/auxiliary officer continued to provide badly needed support in protecting the community throughout the 1960s, which allowed the Police Department to work within its budget. 

During the 1970s, the Merrimack Police Department increased its full-time officers due to an increase in demand for services, but continued to maintain special officer and auxiliary officer divisions.   The special officers were paid on a part-time basis and the auxiliary officers were volunteers for special events or emergencies.  

During the 1980s, the department ended its auxiliary officer division and brought a number of those individuals into the special officers division, which continued to provide much-needed support to the patrol division. The special officer division dwindled in numbers throughout the 1990s, due to the demand for training, long hours (nights, weekends and holidays), more complicated legal requirements and low pay. The department was still able to maintain a group of eight to 10 dedicated special officers.

On June 30, the special officer division will ends its part-time service to the town with two remaining officers – John Pelletier and Timothy St. Cyr.

The special officers were required to perform the same duties with the same responsibilities and risks as the full-time officers. Most of these special officers were town residents who took time away from their own families to assist with keeping the peace in Merrimack. The Merrimack Police Department will dedicate a plaque at the police station inscribed with the names of these individuals who served as constables, auxiliaries or special officers. All of those former officers and their families are invited to attend this ceremony as an expression of gratitude. Any former special officers or family members of officers who have any memorabilia or photographs from their days of service with the department who would like to contribute to a display at the station is asked to contact Capt. Peter Albert at 420-1839 or at palbert@merrimacknh.gov.

Below is a list of those officers who served for at least one year. These records were obtained from annual town reports.   

DEDICATED TO THE MEN & WOMEN WHO SERVED THE MERRIMACK POLICE DEPARTMENT AS SPECIAL OFFICERS, AUXILIARY OFFICERS & CONSTABLES

FROM 1905-2013

Abbott,
William S
(1928-36 & 1939) Demers, Andrew (1977) Hunter,
Lisa
(2002-03) Mckenzie, Richard (2005-06) Robinson, Arnold
(1973) Adams,
Vernon
(2005) Demyanovich, John (2002-10) Hurst,
Albert
(1968) McRoberts, Robert (1957-58) Roy,
Denise (1991-93 & 1994) Alford,
Walter
(2002-05) Devine Jr., Joseph (1999) Ingerson,
Roy
(1973-79) Medeiros, Joseph (2007-08) Santoro, Edward
(1978) Atkins,
A.S.
(1905-07) Dillon, Theodore (1994-97) Irwin,
Kevin (1981-82) Meehan, John
(1977) Santoro,
Robert (1978-84) Avedisian,
Scott
(2009-11) Doty,
Alan (1978-95) Jacques,
Daniel
(2007) Mercer, David (2002-2010) Schofield Jr., Laurance D. (1960-62) Barrett,
Steven
(1982-83) Doty, Lawrence (1984-95) Johnson,
Edwin S.
(1969) Michaud, Elizabeth (1980-81) Schofield,
Mark
(1978-79) Bennett,
Alba J.
(1948-53) Dowling, Christopher (1998-2001) Jones,
Frank P.
(1894) Milligan, Michael (1979) Shea,
Dawn (1998-2001) Bennett,
Fred
(1935-39) Dudash,
John (1993-95) Junkins,
Albert (1949-52) Murphy,
Christopher
(1997-98) Shonyo,
Fred J. (1911, 1915-19) Berg,
John
(1974) Dudash, Michael (1982) Kain,
Joseph “Ed” (1982-85) Murray,
Michael
(1987) Singley,
William (1982-84) Bergeron,
Michael
(2000) Dumont, Richard (1977) Kelleher,
Robert
(1999) Nelson,
Edward
(1977-78) Sobel,
Eric
(1989-97) Bergeron,
Richard (2004-06,2008) Dunn,
Arthur (1980-95) Kershaw,
Lee
(1975-76) O’Leary,
Edmund
(1937-39) Soucy,
William (1996-97) Bernie
Breault
(1969-79) Dutton, Thomas (1953-59 & 1967-68) Ketchie,
Ronald (1978-79) O’Malley,
Andrew
(1977) Spence,
Lewis
(1973) Berriault,
Robert
(1980) Dwyer, Daniel (1969) Burns,
Kevin (1977-79) Orleans,
John
(1996-99) Spillane, Christopher (2004-06) Berry,
Agnes
(1974-79) Emmons, William (1973-77) Killkelly,
Dean (1983-1988) Pane,
Edward
(1993-95) St. Cyr, Timothy (2005-12) Berry,
James
(1974-77) Engelhart, Leonard (1961-62) Krasinski, Steven (2008) Park, Scott (1986-87) Stavenger,
Paul V.
(1974) Betty,
Raymond (1966,1975-80) Estey, Kenneth (1953) Kurzweil,
Scott
(1993) Parker,
Lewis W.
(1907) Stimson, Kenneth
(1986) Blanchard, George
(1902,1905-07) Fariole, Walter (1963-69) Kwiecinski, Walter
(1986) Patricia
Barrett
(1980) Sturgess, Thomas (1980-81)

Bolduc,
Randy
(2005)

Felski,
Gerry (1982-85) L’Hereux, Robert
(1973-80) Peaslee,
Bert L.
(1922) Sullivan,
Daniel W.(1903-04) Bresse,
Edmund (1977-80) Fisher,
John
(1988) Lacquerre, Matthew
(1997) Pellegrino,
Anthony
(1973-84) Sullivan,
James (2000-05) Briggs,
Mark
(1977) Flanders, Frank R. (1920-34) LaFrance,
Paul
(1976) Pelletier,
John
(2003-12) Tarr,
Steven
(1996) Broad,
Garnet (1953-57) Flanders, Frank (1953-62)(1967-69) Lambert, Michael (2008-09) Penrod,
Allen
(1960-65) Theriault, Gerard (1966-69) Brown,
Darin
(2002-04) Flanders, Harold (1951-79) Lamy,
Dennis (1984-85) Perry,
Gerald
(1939-52) Theriault,
Jerry (1974,1977-79) Bujold,
Donald (1967-71) Flemming, Karl (2002-03) Latorre,
Michael
(1983) Peterson,
Jacqueline
(1975-79) Theriault, Steven (1978-79) Buker,
Charles (1965-66) Fontaine,
Paul (1973) Lemoyne,
G. (1979) Phillips,
John H.
(1905) Timmins, Arthur (1958-65) Buker,
Harold
(1953-65) Fortune, Roland (1969-75) Levesque,
Brian
(1998-99) Phyllis
Gehling
(1974-80) Towne,
S.E.
(1893) Cameron, Nicholas
(2006) Gagnon, Brandon (2010-12) Levierge,
Ronald
(1985) Plourde,
David
(1983-85) Turcotte, Richard (1967-69) Canavan, Matthew
(2005) Gauthier, Joseph D. (1925-27) Lindbom,
Daniel (2002-03) Poirier,
Paul
(1986-87) Turner,
Brian
(1977) Carroll,
Frank B.
(1905) Gavin,
Robert
(1974) Litchfield,
Gloria
(1975-78) Poisson,
Michael
(2007-08) Urquhart,
Alan (1981-1982) Carter,
Robert
(1904 & 1915) Geas,
John (1983-85) Longa,
Fred
(1912, 1915-18) Pouliot,
Irene
(1982-85) Vachon,
Arthur (1961-70) Center,
Leon
(1926-28 & 1933-40) Goodie, Michael (2006-07) MacDowell,
M.
(1979) Prentice,
Thomas
(1998-1999) Vailllancourt, Lionel (1978-79) Ciarla,
Joseph
(1973) Goodridge, Joseph (1993-97) Mackay,
Gordon (1941-44) Proctor,
Daniel
(1916, 1919-21) Vandermeer, Mary
(1989-92) Clement, Richard (1981-82) Goodwin, Sam (1982-85) Mackey,
April (1977,1979-80) Pynenburg,
Joseph
(1945-1957) Vandersyde, William (2005-06) Collier,
James H.
(1923-25) Gosselin, Danielle (2000-01) Macleod, Kenneth (2001-02) Quintal,
Alfred
(1969) Venne,
Arthur (1973-1980) Coner,
Brian
(1980) Greenleaf Jr., Harry D.(1957-65) Mahan,
John
(1973-80) Rafferty Jr.,
Daniel J.
(1953-62) Venne,
David
(1977) Connell, Timothy (1986-87) Gudzinowicz, William (2007) Mailhoit,
Ryan (1999-2001) Ramirez,
Jose
(2002) Walters, Gregory
(2004) Connelly Jr., James (1996-99) Hall,
Frank (1951-53) Marcotte, Michael (2004-06) Ranhoff,
Michael
(1980-81) Walver,
William (1977-78) Cook,
George E. (1917) Hamel,
Philip
(1966) Marquis,
Eric
(1999) Raymond,
Ernest
(1974-79) Watkins, Charles
(1938) Cornwell, Lawrence C. (1944) Hanks,
Scott
(1984) Mary,
Carpenter (1979-80) Read,
Lewis,
(1893) Watkins,
John I. (1941-43) Cossette, Darren (1989-1992) Hartford, Wayne (1980-82) McCalvey,
Harry
(1977-78) Renaud,
Edward A.
(1966) Watkins,
Joseph (1935-37) Cox,
Herschel
(1957 & 59) Hayes, Patrick (1979-80) McCalvey, Sherrie (1974-76) Richard,
Kennedy
(1988-92) West,
A.A.
(1903) Cox,
John
(1977-79) Heath,
Floyd (1963-65) McDaniel,
Harry
(1967-69) Ring,
Daniel
(1977-78) Westholm, Jared
(2005) Cross,
Bradford (1977) Hill,
Adam (1999-2000) McDowell, Charles
(1977) Ritchie,
Robert
(1973) Whalin,
Myron
(1940) Cunningham, Walter D (1921-22 & 1929-32) Houle,
Elzear (1958-65) McGowan, William (1991-2008) Robeck,
Brad
(2003) Whelpley, Michael (1973-77) DelPapa,
Peter
(1973) Hudson,
Lois (1974-78) McGuire,
Sean
(2006) Roberts,
A. B.
(1899) Young,
Paul
(1985)

– Submitted by Merrimack Police Capt. Pete Albert