gpd-patch

September 9, 2015

The Granby Police Department recently released a police report that documented a motor vehicle stop which occurred in Granby in February of this year. The incident involved Chief Francis Fox of the Belchertown Police Department. This incident has brought up several questions from the press and the public alike.

The officer who stopped Chief Fox was placed in an awkward and compromising position. He made a discretionary decision in a stressful situation that involved a high ranking police official from another department. The officer called a supervisor after the incident was complete and documented the incident in a very detailed and specific manner. The department has reviewed the incident and spoken with the officer about our response. The report was initially released pursuant to a request for public information.

Neither the officer, nor the department has made any attempt to hide or minimize our actions on that day. The officer’s decision was based on prioritizing public safety. The report was made available at the first public request.

We understand the officer’s decision not to arrest Fox may not have been the preferred or even the popular method. He did however, locate the caller and vehicle, stopped it, removed the public safety threat and documented his actions thoroughly. He did so in a situation that involved an influential person in an uncomfortable and somewhat confrontational situation.

While the outcome of this incident is not perfectly in line with the preferred response to this type of situation, it is an example of how the Granby Police Department and its personnel have prioritized transparency in our operations.