Full Notification

After a few warms days in a row it’s really starting to feel like spring. As you venture off for spring vacation please don’t forget to secure your residences and set your alarm systems if you have them. I’d also like to remind everyone that we do offer the service of house checks if you plan on being away from more than a few days.

The warm weather also brings about my annual warning about soliciting. Unpermitted soliciting in Kensington is prohibited. We take the process of enforcing this ordinance and vetting potential venders seriously as it is a means for us to protect residents from illegitimate businesses and other criminal activity. Please report any suspicious activity, to include soliciting, to the Kensington Police Department immediately by calling 772-2929 or 911.

I plan on hosting a drug information night in the coming months that will include current drug trends and drug activity that is taking place in our community. I will have evidence seized from enforcement activity in town (heroin, crack cocaine, etc.) on display. This informational session will be geared towards parents to help them understand what their children may be exposed to. Though, I invite anyone who is interested to attend. The presentation will contain adult content and I ask that children not tag along. I will pass along a date when it has been confirmed.

Lastly, last evening there was a motor vehicle accident on Amesbury Rd in front of the town hall. A vehicle traveling south at a high rate of speed crossed into the north bound lane of travel and left the roadway, driving through the stone wall (that runs along the town lot) and a granite post, before coming to rest after striking a utility pole and getting entangled in the pole’s guide wires. The driver of the vehicle was subsequently arrested for Driving While Intoxicated.

So far in 2016 we have seen an increase in serious motor vehicle accidents, including the rollover accident in February that resulted in three fatalities. We have had 18 reportable accidents so far this year while only having 11 during the same time period last year (7 of those accidents in 2015 occurred in January and were weather related). Alcohol and/or excessive speed have been factors in several of these accidents. The seriousness and increased frequency of these accidents is of a great concern of mine and this agency. I have requested and arraigned for state officials to meet with the town in coming weeks to look at roadway safety within our community. I‘m currently in the process of applying for two grants that will allow us to have another officer on the road at times, utilizing state highway safety funding to pay for it. We are also going to begin scheduling a second officer to work during periods of time we can predict a high likelihood for increased traffic and call volume.

With the busy summer travel season knocking at our door we will continue to adjust our enforcement techniques as needed to address this issue.

Enjoy the warm weather!

Chief Sanders