Wednesday’s Meet and Greet with Chief William Kramer

One of us, along with roughly 30-35 other Norwood residents, met our new NPD Chief William Kramer at the Community Center Wednesday evening. When the Q&A session got underway, Chief Kramer was joined by Capt. Keith Bellman, Lt. Tom Williams, Lt. Ron Murphy, Lt. Tom Fallon, and Lt. Mark Rankin.

Here are a few highlights from that session:

1. Chief Kramer read aloud a new mission statement for the department that was adopted last month (see below) and said a 5-year strategic plan is in the works. Some time after the first of the year, he will be announcing some new programs that will be put in place.The #1 crime problem in Norwood, and this is true in many communities, is illegal drugs.
2. The department is seeing an uptick in prescription drug activity. Possibly related to this, there’s been an increase this year over last year in auto break-ins, particularly the kind where thieves break glass to gain entry. Lt. Williams theorized the increase might be the result of desperation tied to drug activity.
3. Lt. Williams also shared with the audience that when he checked over a year ago on how many of Norwood’s rental housing units are Section 8, the incidence was only 1 ½% of the total units. Of course, the number of Section 8 units fluctuates as tenants come and go. He said the incidence of criminal activity in Section 8 units is no more than in other rental units, plus there is the added factor that Section 8 tenants know they are at risk of losing their vouchers if they are convicted of crimes.
4. Chief Kramer told the audience that while the NPD is very effective, there is always room for improvement. One of the improvements he is going to make is better and more frequent communication with the community. He’s considering an internet option or two for this purpose as well as regular, perhaps quarterly, informational meetings for the public. We may see a twitter-like website employed for instant communication.

Mission Statement adopted November, 2011

The Norwood Police Department will provide professional service that reflects the needs of our community and provides protection of life, property, and the constitutional rights of all.

We will remain dedicated to service and committed to excellence, focusing on the following core values:

Integrity
We are honest in all we do.

Pride
We are proud of ourselves, our department, and the community we serve.

Respect
We treat everyone equally, with dignity, and courtesy

Professionalism
We provide exemplary police services, through officers that are highly trained and dedicated to service.

Commitment
We are determined and dedicated to providing the highest level of professional service.