The Evidence and Property Division is staffed by two police officers who catalog and manage over 10,000 pieces of evidence and property per year.  These officers also handle the destruction of confiscated firearms, illegal drugs and evidence once cases have been disposed.  The division also has the responsibility for maintaining the chain of evidence in all cases handled by the Holyoke Police Department. 

Our Evidence/Property Room is presently being computerized and each individual case will be bar-coded for improved tracking and maintaining of the chain of custody. When directed by the courts, these officers also destroy approximately 500 pieces of evidence per year.

The Communications Division is staffed by one police officer and eleven civilian dispatchers, operating on three watches (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.), seven days a week and twenty-four hours a day.  The division is commanded by a lieutenant who is also in command of our Records Division.  This division is the first point of contact for citizens requesting police services. 

The Communications Division dispatchers receive in excess of 50,000 calls for service (CFS) each year and an unknown number of incoming telephone calls of a non-emergency nature as the Communications Center is the central receiving point for ALL incoming telephone calls to the police department.  This division is responsible for receiving, monitoring, transmitting and relaying calls for emergency services to appropriate public safety agencies.  The dispatcher operates telecommunications equipment such as emergency and non-emergency telephones, radios and maintains complete records of all communications transactions through computer functions and tape recording equipment.  The Center obtains and processes confidential records and related situations.  The Center is responsible for maintaining constant communication with police units working the streets of the city to ensure their safety.

This division is staffed by one police officer who oversees the operation and maintenance of the police department’s two-way radio communications system consisting of three remote repeater radio sites within the City of Holyoke, 4 voted receiver sites, 34 Mobile units and 180 portable radios.  Two sites handle the main radio frequency for day-to-day operations between Police Officers in the field and the Communications Division.  A third site is used for communications between the Records Division and patrol units. 

In addition to voice communication, the Electronics Division maintains the mobile data terminal (MDT) network for the exchange of data between the Records Division, National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles Information with officers in the field.  This officer is also responsible for the in-house telephone system, and the Emergency 911 (E-911) recording system. Additionally, this officer is a Certified Motor Vehicle Crash Reconstructionist responsible for the investigation of serious and/or fatal motor vehicle crashes in the City of Holyoke.

This division is staffed by one police officer who is responsible for processing all permits related to firearms.  This division is the central processing point for companies, organizations, businesses or private individuals requesting officers to work outside paid details.  The current rate of pay for outside detail officers is $38.00 per hour with a minimum of four hours as set by union contract. 

Any companies, organizations, businesses or private individuals wishing to avail themselves of the services of an off duty officer to work an outside paid detail should telephone (413) 536-6431 and ask for extension 527.  The Permits Section office hours are 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.  On Thursdays only firearm permits are processed between 7:00 a.m. to 11:00a.m and 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

Cancelling a Police detail. If you are calling to cancel a police detail after 3:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday, YOU MUST call either 322-6900 or 536-6431 and inform the main dispatcher of the cancellation and details. Simply leaving a message will not absolve you of responsibility to pay for the officer hired.

This Section also processes Tag Sale permits, Loud Speaker permits, permits to allow stores to open early on Holidays, and Parade permits.

This division is staffed by one police officer who is certified in state court as an expert in fingerprint identification.  This officer also processes and classifies over 2,000 fingerprints of arrested subjects per year.  This officer processes over 40 firearms per year for prints, has identified close to 40 individuals who gave false names upon being arrested, and identified over 10 individuals per year from latent prints left at crime scenes.  The officer assigned to this division processes over 4,000 print related activities per year.  The officer also develops film and uses modern techniques to lift latent prints from oddly shaped objects such as firearms, appliances, etc.

Permits Division

Sergeant Daniel McCavick