Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Pepperell Auxiliary Police to protect the public through on-call emergency services, supplementing the capacity of the full-time police force and assisting the individual officers with whom we serve. We will accomplish this through training, developing and building a credible group of public service providers with attention to organizational and individual needs. What we expect to receive in return is a sense of public service, community involvement, self-development, and a commitment to the Town of Pepperell. 

Who are we?

The Auxiliary Police is a voluntary arm of Pepperell's Emergency Management Agency (formerly known as Civil Defense) reporting to the Director.  We work in concert with, and under the guidance of the Chief of Police. The organization exists to supplement the town's full time police force in a state of emergency or other significant events in which additional staffing is required. In order to accomplish this, we work and train for a state of readiness to provide effective support when situations require it.

What does that mean to Pepperell residents?

While the town's public safety agencies are maintained at levels to provide a high degree of service for day-to-day operations, the Auxiliary Police enable the flexibility to increase services in times of significantly high demand, often referred to a "force multiplier". This helps keep your tax dollars at reasonable levels while still meeting public safety needs. 

How do we operate?

Throughout a given year, our officers will work in a variety of different functions. We use the Auxiliary cruisers to patrol key sectors on certain evenings to enhance public safety coverage and increase experience. Traffic control is provided for both accident and fire scenes, and search and rescue support is provided as needed. Community patrols are maintained during severe inclement weather conditions to close dangerous roadways, give assistance to the public and support emergency scenes. Key non-emergency services include traffic and crowd control for public events such as charity bike rides, road marathons, Memorial Day parade, the 4th of July parade and weekend festivities, and other similar town events.  We also provide Halloween night community patrols to help ensure child safety.

Structure

The Auxiliary has its own command structure. The Director of Emergency Management serves as the commanding officer with a staff that consists of a captain and sergeant(s) that oversee our patrol officers.  All staff and patrol officers are appointed annually.

Funding & Hours of Contribution

The Auxiliary Police are funded via a modest budget approved by town meeting vote that covers the cost of uniforms and other reasonable operating expenses. Hours provided to the town through work and readiness training are all voluntary. Annually we perform hundreds of hours of donated services. This breaks out to approximately 10% administration, 20% training and 70% active duty.

Training

Training is absolutely key to our success. One of the primary reasons we work the patrols and events that we do is to gain the required knowledge and experiences to perform effectively when we are called to action. It does not stop there however.

Orientation starts once a candidate is accepted and includes all necessary certifications skills acquisition before an officer steps foot in their uniform in the line of duty. Typical orientation periods take approximately 2-3 months to complete and involves working alongside supervisors for a pre-set minimum period, more if needed. Once on active duty, training continues throughout their active membership through in-service training.

In-service: Every officer is required to attend our in-service program.  These are typically four-hour in-house training sessions once per month, with make ups required for missed classes. Subjects cover a variety situations and procedures to enable officers to respond effectively and are conducted both in classroom settings and hands on.  Annually the officers must pass certain certifications to include First Aid/CPR and defensive tactics.   The cost of orientation, all in-service, and re-certification training is born by the department. 

Cost

All uniforms are provided as well as radios and other defensive equipment.  All training is included.  There are few personal uniform accessories required at reasonable costs (footwear, belt, etc.).  As a result of the state's law enforcement reform legislation this is an unarmed position with no firearm required, though engagement protocols are structured to minimized hazardous situations and exposure.

Applicant Qualifications

Individuals must be 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen, and have a minimum of a high school education in order to qualify for the Pepperell Auxiliary Police. They should also be a town resident or live within a 20-mile radius necessary for effective call out response times.  This application process includes passing a background check that demonstrates a clear criminal and civil record, as well as an excellent driver's history. Previous law enforcement or other emergency service training and/or experience is a plus.

Officers are required to work evenings for most cruiser shifts and training. Occasional weekend day work is required for training, major events or emergencies. Emergency call-out activity is adjusted to work around an officer's full-time employment and at no time would we jeopardize an individual's regular career.

Screening of all applicants is done by the senior command staff as well as the full-time department's liaison officer in addition to background investigation by a qualified background investigator. 

Application

For an application form, send an email request to: emd@town.pepperell.ma.us or call (978)650-1680 and leave a message with your email address and a form will be emailed to you. Once completed, do NOT email it as email is not data secure.  Applications should be sent via the US Postal Service and mailed to:

Pepperell Emergency Management, c/o D. Querze, 1 Main St., Pepperell MA 01463