Police discuss crime in Gardner - do high-profile incidents tell the whole story?

Drug activity, crime, vandalism, and speeding vehicles were among the topics discussed at a public meeting between residents and law enforcement officials at the Gardner Police Department on Wednesday.

The meeting was organized by Ward 5 City Councilor Alek Dernalowicz at the request of resident Scott McGee, who lives in South Gardner. Mayor Michael Nicholson was also in attendance.

“We’ve been residents here for 18 years, and in the last six months we’ve had some fairly significant violent crimes that didn’t go unnoticed,” said McGee, citing as examples the stabbing at Planet Fitness and the shooting at Gardner Spirits. “We just want to get a feel for where (the police) see the city’s (situation), and do we have all the resources we as a city need to address the changing level of crime.”

On the topic of drug activity, Detective Lt. Matt Arsenault said that Detective Ryan Coates, who was attached to the District Attorney’s North Worcester County Drug Task Force, was very effective in keeping illegal substances out of the city.

Gardner not a source city for drugs, according to police

“Gardner is not a source city for drugs, we’re just a secondary city, so he goes out and targets the source cities and he gets large quantities of drugs,” Arsenault explained. “So, the dealers that are sending their drugs to Gardner, he’s attacking them and getting them one step beforehand, which has helped tremendously.”

Gardner Police Chief Eric McAvene said he understood that the public is sometimes frustrated at how slowly the legal process works when it came to getting drugs off the streets. He said the department is required to follow certain procedures before officers can apply for a search warrant based on a tip from the public.

More: Gardner Planet Fitness stabbing leads to arrest of Revere man

“The tip is A and the search warrant is Z,” McAvene explained. “So, there’s B to Y in the middle, and a lot of that includes procedural stuff, (including) surveillance, which could take days or weeks or months, controlled buys, undercover officers. Sometimes the wheels of justice do turn slow, and it’s frustrating to us as well. But those protections are in place for a reason.”

Officials not seeing an increase in city crime

There have been 32 drug violations – including arrests – in the city this year, according to officials. By comparison, there were 41 drug violations in 2022 and 45 reported in 2021. The department has received 15,156 police-related calls for service this year, compared to a total of 17,632 in 2022 and 19,733 in 2021.

Deputy Chief of Police Nicholas Maroni said the public may have been under the misconception that crime is rising in the city because a few big-profile events occurred roughly around the same time.

“Because so many things happened in a small span, (we also) were wondering what was going on,” Maroni said. “It’s unfortunately just how law enforcement works.”

More: Liquor store shooting in Gardner: Man charged with attempted murder

The incident at Gardner Spirits was a targeted event and not related to any drug activity, according to McAvene, who said police arrested the suspect within an hour of the shooting. The suspect in the Planet Fitness stabbing was in police custody within 10 minutes, officials said.

“Public safety is why we’re here, that is our function, it’s our number-one priority,” McAvene explained.

McAvene feels police officials have a good handle on the crime situation in the city, especially compared to other similarly sized communities in Worcester County.

“We have our share of issues like anyplace else. We can’t stick our head in the sand and ignore it, but I don’t think it’s as prevalent as other areas are,” he said, adding that residents are urged to contact police about any illegal activity, including speeders. “If you see something, say something. We can’t be everywhere at once, and we need the citizens’ help to point us in the right direction sometimes.”

Describing social media as something of a double-edged sword at times, Maroni urged residents to use caution about what they post online during police-related events.

“People are allowed to say what they feel, and we can’t control that – everybody has a voice, but sometimes we overshare information,” he said. “When people do post stuff about crimes that are happening while the police are present, you may think you’re doing good, but now you’ve just told the bad guys where all the police are in town.”

Maroni urged any resident with questions about a police-related situation to contact the department for information.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Gardner Police talk crime, drug activity, vandalism, public safety