THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012
VOL. 20 NO. 169
BERLIN, N.H.
752-5858
FREE
Police say serious crime on the rise in Gorham BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
GORHAM — Gorham police have seen a “substantial increase in certain serious crimes” and police chief PJ Cyr planned to make a case against any budget cuts that could impact staffing to the Gorham budget committee last night based on that information. After reviewing the reported offenses for 2011 and comparing them to 2010, Cyr said that significant increases in burglaries, domestic violence incidents, assaults, and drug offenses were seen. Most of them, Cyr said, can be attributed to a rise in alcohol and drug use. In 2011 burglaries, a felony, increased more than ten fold, up from 1 in 2010 to 11 reported last year. Domestic violence incidents also rose substantially, up from 15 in 2010 to 50 in 2011. Assaults were also up from with 44 reported — 11 were felony level. There were only 14 assaults reported in 2010. Drug and alcohol abuses were seen directly with drug offenses increasing nearly 200% from 18 in 2010 to 52 in 2011. Of those drug offenses 13 were felony level crimes involving prescription or street narcotics. Additionally the number of people taken
into protective custody for being “too intoxicated to safely care for themselves” rose threefold from 5 to 15 in the past year. Cyr attributes much of the rise to the high incidence of alcohol and drug use “we can draw that from the high volume of alcohol and drug related offenses.” Domestic altercations also generally involve alcohol or drug use, he said. Even the burglaries, he said, likely had their roots in substance abuse. The burglaries focused on three common items stolen; drugs, money and guns, Cyr explained. “It’s not a stretch to believe it was people trying to support their habit.” While these crimes are on the rise, the nature of crime is becoming more dangerous as well. There were three robberies in 2011 with ten of the town’s reported crimes this year involving deadly weapons. He defined deadly weapons as guns, knives, and motor vehicles used to intentionally threaten or harm the victim. The weapons were stolen in three cases, and in the rest the weapons were used in the commission of the crime. Previously, Cyr said, he did not tabulate how many cases involved deadly weapons since the occurrence was rare. This year, however, Gorham officers were
Info sought on local WW II vets buried in Belgian cemetery
put in the unusual situation of having to draw their weapon on armed suspects and even deploy their Tasers. Cyr said it was uncommon for his officers to encounter the need for such force previously, but 2011 has brought “by far the highest level of serious crimes that we’ve seen since I’ve been here.” This is the argument he planned to lay out to the budget committee last night as the Police and Dispatch budget came under review. “Given these numbers and the rise of serious crimes it wouldn’t be prudent to cut in the area of law enforcement,” Cyr said. The budget committee had recommended last year that the town not replace an officer that resigned, hoping to effect a budget cut by reducing the police force to 6 officers. The town manager did not take their recommendation and the position was filled. The committee is now tasked with looking at the proposed 2012 budget and has not taken their desire to see the police force reduced off the table. Cyr said the department had eight officers in 1995 and then within a few years dropped back to 7 officers through attrition. They have had a staff of seven ever since, and the department operates see CRIME page 6
Hockey raffle offers chance at new Jeep
BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
ANDROSCOGGIN VALLEY – A Gilford woman’s search for the story behind her uncle’s burial in a World War II cemetery in Belgium has led her to seek out similar stories for other New Hampshire soldiers buried there, including three from the Androscoggin Valley. About three years ago, Aimee Fogg set out to find out about her uncle Paul Lavoie who was killed in action in February 1945 at the Schwammenauel Dam in Schmidt, Germany. Lavoie grew up in Nashua and joined the Army a month shy of his 20th birthday. A private first class, he was part of the 78th Infantry Division. Fogg discovered her uncle was buried at the Henri-Chapelle American military cemetery in Belgium and eventually visited his grave there and traced the route he traveled during the war. Situated on 57 acres, Henri-Chapelle is the final resting place for 7,992 American soldiers. Most of the soldiers buried at the cemetery were killed during the U.S. First Army’s drive through northern France, Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg into Germany in the fall of 1944 into the spring of 1945 or during the Battle of the Bulge. At one time, more than 17,000 American soldiers were temporarily buried there but after the war, 56 percent were returned to the United States at the request of their families. The remaining families asked that their loved ones remain where they had made the ultimate sacrifice. As Fogg wrote her uncle’s story, she realized that every soldier buried at Henri-Chapelle Cemetery also had a story to share. Of the 7,992 American WWII soldiers buried there, she discovered that 40
The Berlin City Auto Group will be sponsoring a Jeep Giveaway on Saturday, Jan. 7. at the boys varsity hockey game. This promotion is to entice spectators to Berlin High School’s first home hockey game and proceeds will benefit the high school hockey program. Berlin High has tickets that they will be offering for a suggested donation. This ticket will allow you a chance to be a finalist to win a New Jeep Wrangler. The lucky person will have one chance to bowl a frozen turkey from center ice to the goal line. To win the new Jeep you must land the turkey on the goal line. The contest will take place between one of the periods of the game on Saturday. Tickets will be available the day of the event or you can pick up a ticket at the Berlin High School Athletic Director’s office. The Jeep is valued at up to $25,000. From l-r: Berlin High School Athletic Director Craig Melanson, Salesman Bill Letellier, Sales Manager Bruce MacDonald, Salesman Mike Smith, Salesman Denis Dagesse and Service Director Jeff Scarinza. (RITA DUBE PHOTO)
see VETS page 6
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