Wakefield Police Department 2022 Report
Wakefield NH Police Department
603-522-3232 (business line)
The year 2022 has brought many changes and challenges to the Wakefield Police Department. We said goodbye to Chief John Ventura, who accepted a new position as Police Chief for the town of Brentwood NH. We wish him the best of luck! Sergeant Trevor Cherry was promoted to Prosecutor, and Officer Brandon Jendrock was promoted to Patrol Sergeant. They have both done an excellent job in their new roles!
The Wakefield Police Department and law enforcement agencies across the country faced staffing shortages like never before. Our team has met the challenges of being understaffed head-on and has stepped up to meet these challenges together. Our team of dedicated officers and civilian employees worked tirelessly to fill the void.
Enforcing road safety continues to be a top priority for our department. We were again allowed to participate in the Office of Highway Safety Initiatives where we maintained our high standard of educating drivers and enforcing road rules. These grant projects included Speed Enforcement, Driving Under the Influence, Distracted Driving, Join the Clique, and U Drive U Text U Pay. These initiatives, combined with focused speed checks and utilizing our speed radar trailers were effective tools in slowing down drivers and promoting safe driving habits.
The Wakefield Public Safety Building has a new roof. This replaces the original roof from when the Public Safety Building was built in 2000. We have an updated Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan with the Town of Brookfield. This ensures Wakefield and Brookfield are proactive in identifying potential hazards our towns may face.
Prosecuting Sergeant Trevor Cherry received his FBI LEEDA Trilogy Award by successfully completing the Supervisor, Command, and Executive training. The FBI-LEEDA mission is to advance law enforcement management practices through training and education.
Officer Garrett Anthony was voted Officer of the Year for his second consecutive year! Congratulations to Officer Anthony who continues to do fantastic work. K-9 Officer Matthew Martino and his partner K-9 Echo had another busy year. There were several felony-level drug seizures that led to arrests. Officer Martino and Echo conducted two life-saving searches, once again demonstrating the importance of our K-9 program. Officer Connor McLain completed his 16-week academy training and was certified by the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council as a full-time police officer. We also welcomed two certified officers, Officer Joseph Oswalt, and Officer Thomas McNulty. Officer Dave Landry was able to return in a part-time capacity as the School Resource Officer. We wish him the best of luck as he continues his cancer battle.
We look forward to a happy and healthy 2023!!
Respectfully,
Chief Michael Fenton