When we think of the police, crime prevention and crime fighting naturally spring to mind. But local police departments play a significant role in their communities beyond the world of criminal justice, especially in small communities like Glastonbury.
We spoke with Glastonbury Capt. Mark Catania, a 29-year veteran of the local police force and second in command of the department. He explained the myriad ways the police here take part in the community, as well as the ways the community interacts, in a positive way, with the police.
“This department is a very community- oriented police department. We have 61 officers here and we have traffic, patrol, investigations, youth and training divisions. We also take part in many different initiatives within the capital region, including a regional hostage negotiation team, accident investigations and a regional SWAT team. We also have a dive team that’s regionalized. When you partner up with other towns it’s a huge cost savings we’re able to share our resources with other departments and share in their resources as well.”
Glastonbury Police get involved in many local community outreach efforts as well, Capt. Catania says.
Officers interact with new businesses when they open in town to make business owners aware of the services the department provides.Police officers are present at all major community events and festivals in order to meet with and interact with local residents.
The police are particularly active in local schools, he adds.
“We teach programs through the school year and we have active school resource officers who work full time at the high school and middle school. We also have a community policing officer who just does community relations. He goes to every new business and introduces himself, he visits with officials at local banks to discuss crime prevention measures and he hosts events for local parents on the proper installation of child car seats.”
One of the department’s biggest community events, he adds, is the National Night Out initiative. The popular event, held in August, promotes police-community partnerships through meet-and-greet sessions with officers and other emergency responders, public safety demonstrations, and demonstrations of police equipment.
“This was our second year participating in National Night Out, which draws about 1,000 people.”
That level of interest, he says, reflects the support the police department enjoys in the community and the mutual respect officers and residents have for one another.
“We have the best community following. We’ve had people come in here to thank us sometimes and that’s unheard of in policing. We also get several calls a week from residents who want to tell us about a positive experience they’ve had with officers.”
He credits the department’s chief, Marshall Porter, for its excellent community relations.
“When he came here from Farmington the chief brought with him a motto that there’s no job too small for us and there’s nothing we won’t do for the public. We instill that in everyone who comes to work here.”
That culture of community spirit, Capt. Catania adds, is partly why the community about two years ago rallied behind the reinstatement of the department’s K-9 unit and helped raise the money to obtain a police dog - Soleil - and a K-9 officer. Today, Soleil and his handler, Officer Neil Cavanaugh, have become a common and popular sight around town.
The department’s close relationship with the local community also is a boon for its officer recruitment efforts.
“It’s a community where people wave to police officers, where they enjoy interacting with our officers. It’s one of the most appreciative communities when it comes to its police department. That’s so unusual in policing nowadays and it’s a place where officers want to come to work because they know they are appreciated.”
Glastonbury Police Department
2108 Main St.
Phone: 860-652-7710 (Routine calls)
Email: Customerservicecenter@glastonbury-ct.gov
Online: Glastonburyct.gov
On Social: @GlastonburyPoliceDepartment
We’ve had people come in here to thank us sometimes and that’s unheard of in policing.