In this Issue
January 2005

Police Patrol
By Officer Cliff Luce

Happy New Year, Brookfield! We have made it through another year filled with exciting times and wonderful memories. 2004 brought the Presidential election, which I thought would never end, the issues overseas, fuel prices endlessly rising and the freezing cold of last winter, the Patriots winning the Super Bowl again, and the Red Sox winning the World Series FINALLY (still hard to believe)!!! I hope this winter brings somewhat warmer weather, with some good snow in the mountains for skiing, and some good times spent with family and friends around a nice warm fire remembering all the happy times of 2004 and making plans for an exciting and meaningful 2005.

The Brookfield Police Department worked hard this year to keep all citizens feeling safe in town. We have added some new members, and some have left, and the department is going as well as it ever has.

With the winter in full swing, be sure to watch your driving in the adverse conditions. People think that if they have four-wheel drive that they can go as fast as if it were a summer day. If you are enjoying activities outdoors, be sure to layer up before going out, especially if you are going skiing.The temperature at the base of the mountain can be as much as twenty degrees warmer than at the top of the mountain. If you enjoy cross country skiing or snowshoeing, be sure that someone knows where you are going in case something happens and we need to find you.

Because the cold weather is now here in full force, remember your animals. Watch that your cats and dogs are not being left outside for long periods of time. Would you like to spend hours outside in the cold or inside a nice warm house? Also, if you have elderly neighbors or grandparents or parents that might need assistance getting out after a snow storm, make time and help them; if they were young and you needed assistance, they would certainly help you. Resolve this year to do something nice for other people as often as you can. Those “random acts of kindness” can do so much to improve the lives and spirits of others.

The month of January brings the ice fishing season (something that I will never understand!). The large derby that is held every winter should be back this year. This event brings a large amount of people to Brookfield. Be sure to drive extra carefully around the lake areas at this time, as there may be many people around who are unfamiliar with the roads. If there is snow on the ground, the roads around the lakes can be extremely narrow, so extra caution is advised.

With the close of 2004 the Brookfield Police Department is looking back and seeing the good and bad of the year past. Some of the highlights include the time that we spent with the kids of the Elementary School teaching them about bike safety, the car show, the basketball game at Tantasqua, the Apple Country Fair, and the St. Mary’s fair. We have had some sad times as well with the passing of loved ones, unexpected deaths, and loss of loved ones and friends overseas. The department is looking forward to another great year. We are looking to transform our garage into an officers’ room and booking area. With this transformation, we want to make a handicapped access for those who need to come to the department and are unable to get up the stairs. The 2004 year brought us another milestone, with the huge number of calls that we responded to and complaints that we resolved. We are busier than ever, but we will always try our best to help the townspeople whenever and wherever they need us.

The Brookfield Police Department wishes all the citizens in town a very happy, prosperous and fulfilling new year; we wish all the citizens of the world a year of peace.

"If man does find the solution for world peace, it will be the most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known."
—George C. Marshall, US general (1880 - 1959)

Read previous columns from Officer Cliff Luce.