Animal Control 2012
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HIRING OF A CONCORD ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER (ACO)
this Article did not pass...updated April 27, 2012
Article
44. Ms. Lodynsky
moves that the Town vote to appropriate the sum of $20,000 (in
combination with current $19,000 Dog Officer funding) to provide a town Animal
Control Officer (out-sourced, contractual, or part time staff, under direction
of the Town Manager.
reasons
being:
 |
for the past few decades, Concord has had a contract with a Dog Officer to
respond to all dog related matters. Calls and complaints related to all
other animals were managed and handled by the Concord Police / Fire
Department staff, many of whom
had not received training in animal control or wildlife handling
procedures; |
|
Massachusetts rabies laws require all dogs and cats over 6 months
of age to be vaccinated; Concord has no staff or procedures in place to
enforce this requirement. |
|
neighboring towns of Lexington, Bedford, and Belmont have indicated
interest in setting up an animal shelter cooperative with Concord (shelter
location in Lexington), with the potential for sharing of ACO
responsibilities. |
additionally: as per SENATE No. 02192; Senate, filed March 22, 2012 – Text the Senate Bill further regulating animal control (being the text of Senate, No. 2184, printed as amended):
398 Section 151. (a) The mayor of each city and the board of selectmen of each town shall
399 annually designate 1 or more animal control officers, who may be police officers or constables.
400 The mayor or board of selectman shall immediately submit to the commissioner the names,
401 addresses and date of hire of such animal control officers. Except as provided in this section, if
402 any city or town shall fail to make such appointment, the commissioner shall appoint an animal
403 control officer for that city or town.
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Concord's Current Dog Control Procedure
source: Concord's Town website and WickedLocal News
Concord Public Safety Communications is a separate civilian
organizational unit operating within the Concord Police Department chain of
command according to the policies, procedures and guidelines of the Concord
Police and Fire Departments.
All Concord Public Safety Dispatchers are certified emergency
telecommunications and law enforcement data professionals trained to the
standards of the Massachusetts State 911 Department, Massachusetts Criminal
History Systems Board, National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch and the
Association of Public Safety Communications Professionals (APCO) Intl. Several
Dispatchers also have additional training as Tactical Communications
Specialists, Reserve Police Officers, Firefighters, Paramedics and Emergency
Medical Technicians on an individual basis.
The Dog Officer responds to all complaints regarding domesticated
dogs. The Dog Officer is required to provide a vehicle for transporting dogs, as
well as a pound for the temporary housing of dogs taken into custody. The Dog
Officer and his assistant(s) are on call 24 hours a day, and can be contacted
through the Public Safety Communications Center by pager.
Concord contracts with a private vendor (Boardman Animal Control
Services) to provide dog control
services. The contract is awarded on the basis of a competitive bidding process,
and is administered by the Chief of Police.