Board of Police Commissioners - Minutes - 08/12/2024

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MINUTES
BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
August 12, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
PRESENT: Commissioner J. Dimmock, Commissioner C. Gamble, Commissioner R.
Brule, Commissioner M. Gelinas
ABSENT: Commissioner T. Sheridan
DEPARTMENT: — Chief M. Balestracci, LT D. Ferland, LT N. VanOverloop, Traffic Officer
M. Devine, Officer M. Sylvestre
CALL TO ORDER AND ESTABLISH A QUORUM:
Commissioner Dimmock called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. in the General Meeting Room
of the Waterford Police Department. A Quorum was established.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC INPUT:
Quaker Hill residents, Tina DuBosque and Bryan Sayles, submitted letters to be entered into the
minutes.
A presentation on speed enforcement was made by Staci Noto of TrafficLogix.
ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES:
MOTION: Made by Commissioner Gamble and seconded by Commissioner Brule to accept the
minutes from the July 8, 2024 Regular Meeting. Commissioner M. Gelinas abstained. Motion
passed.

CORRESPONDENCE:
Correspondence was reviewed.
TRAFFIC COMMISSION REVIEW:
Chief Balestracci commented on the great job Officer Devine did coordinating road closures and
security for the Waterford Day Parade.
Traffic Report was received.
CHIEF’S REPORT:
a. K9 Reports for July
July report was received.
b. Youth Reports for July
July report was received.
c. Investigative Services for July
July report was received.
d. Training Report for July
July report was received.
e. Support Services Report for July
July report was received.
f. Patrol Report for July
July report was received.
g. Animal Control Report for July
July report was received.
h. Community Engagement Report for July
July report was received.
OLD BUSINESS:
a. Recording Commission Meetings — The furniture has been repaired and reinstalled. No
bids were received for the combined audio/video part of the project. They will now go
out to bid individually.

NEW BUSINESS:
a. Retail Theft Initiative —- Chief Balestracci introduced the Waterford Police Department
Retail Theft Initiative program. Sergeant Patrick Epps and Officer Andrew Reed will be
leading the program to develop relationships with retailers in town in order to improve
security and decrease theft. The program is expected to be up and running in late
September.
b. Discussion of Survey Results — There was a brief discussion of the first set of results
from the South Central Chiefs of Police Association survey that the Waterford Police
Department is participating in. Chief Balestracci noted that the WPD uses most if not all
of the retention strategies listed in the survey.
MOTION: Made by Commissioner Gelinas and seconded by Commissioner Gamble to add
firearms transition discussion to New Business. Motion passed unanimously.
Chief Balestracci explained that the firearm transition process was brought before and approved
by all town boards. This transition included trading in retired firearms for a savings to the Town
of $13,500. The Chief said that this process will move forward as is, as it would be improper to
change the plan after being approved and presented at public meetings to all the relevant town
boards. The Chief believes that in the future when new firearms are needed, discussions should
be had on other disposal methods for retired firearms.
MOTION: Made by Commissioner Gamble and Seconded by Commissioner Gelinas to adjourn
the meeting at 6:01 p.m. Motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted by:
Hoi & Srveall
Diane E. Driscoll
Recording Secretary

August 12, 2024
To: Town of Waterford Board of Police Commissioners
From: Tina DuBosque, Quaker Hill, CT
Re: Disposal of Town Police Handguns
Dear Police Commissioners
I feel that the current method of disposal of Town Police handguns is an issue
worth debating and working to change.
This is not a Second Amendment issue.
It is an issue of responsibly retiring Town Police handguns.
The handguns being retired are not permanently destroyed, but temporarily
disabled. This means that they can be made whole again and put out on the
used gun market. The Town of Waterford benefits financially from this current
disposal program.
These retired handguns can, and do, fall into the hands of those who wish to
use them for criminal activities. There are other licensed, acceptable methods
currently in use to responsibly dispose of retired handguns, in ways that
permanently disable them, rendering them unsaleable, out of reach of the
criminally minded.
I advocate for a review of the current disposal program, and a change to a more
responsible disposable program, one that will help to keep these used
handguns permanently out of circulation.
Citizens' lives are at stake, nation-wide.
Let’s be part of the solution, not part of the problem!
As the current program to retire used Police handguns was discussed and
approved by Board of Police Commissioners, Board of Selectmen, Board of
Finance, and Representative Town Meeting some time ago, clearly there is an
established procedure for discussing, reviewing, updating and approving.
Commissioners, let's be proactive and known as a town that includes in its
efforts to fight crime a used Police handgun disposal program that shows a
responsible effort.
Again, this is not a Second Amendment issue.
Good change is good.
Thank you.
Respectfully submitted,
ae
Tina DuBosque, Quaker Hill

August 12, 2024
Waterford Police Commission Meeting
Waterford, CT
Re; Obsolete handguns
Dear Commissioners,
lam here at today’s Police Commission meeting to call attention to an ongoing concern
about the disposition of forty-nine (49) soon to be obsolete town of Waterford owned
handguns. During the public comment section of a July 9, Board of Selectman meeting, |
shed new light on the problem of former police guns traded in to suppliers being found at
the scene of a crime. In fact, since 2006, 52,529 such guns. Concerning to say the least.
Waterford’s 49 obsolete guns are shown as a line-item credit within Whitmer's cost quote.
It seemed to me and others that would be simple to have that credit removed so that those
obsolete, taxpayer funded guns could be disposed of safely. And while it took little time and
effort, | finally identified a resource where those guns could be destroyed, following ATF
guidelines with documentation and pictures for the reasonable cost of $300 total.
A decision was made to move forward with the original plan which is to take the credit from
Whitmer. A short-sighted decision at that given the societal costs of gun violence.
In closing today's letter is now about accountability. Years from now, should any of the 49
guns be traced back to Waterford let it be known that First Selectman Brule, Second
Selectman Muckle and Chief Balestracci are unwilling to reverse course and should be
held accountable for their decisions. They are doing so with the knowledge that there was
an alternative to guarantee that not one of Waterford’s obsolete handguns would ever be
used in the commission of a crime.
Brygn Sayles
54 Wintergreen Dr.
Quaker Hill