On behalf of the North Reading Police Department, I would like to welcome you to our website. The members of the North Reading Police Department are dedicated and selfless public servants, who pride themselves on being professional and having a commitment to excellence. Our primary objective is to maintain a safe and secure environment for all residents through dedication to duty, continued training, educational development, and the cultivation of high ethical and moral standards within the department.
Our intent is to provide timely information about the North Reading Police Department, touch on recent news, and list upcoming events.
I will continue strive for us to be a premier law enforcement agency and a model of excellence in policing by creating partnerships, building trust, reducing crime, and improving the quality of life for our community and for all those who visit the area. Our members are focused on promoting a safe environment and maintaining relationships with our schools, community groups, and residential and business organizations.
If you are a North Reading resident, or just visiting the area, we are here to serve your public safety needs. Thank you for taking the time to visit our website and hope that you have found all the information you were looking for.
I will continue to work to maintain the trust that you have bestowed upon this department. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Mark Zimmerman
Chief of Police
Responsibilities of the Chief of Police
The following is a summary of the major duties and responsibilities of the Office of the Chief of Police:
Through the Chief of Police, the Department is responsible for the enforcement of all laws coming within its legal jurisdiction. The Chief of Police is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, controlling and staffing all activities of the department. He/she is also responsible for its continued and efficient operation, for the enforcement of rules and regulations and policy and procedures within the department, for completion and forwarding of such reports as may be required by proper authority and for the department’s relations with local citizens, the local government and other related agencies
The Chief is responsible for the training of all members of the department. The Chief shall have charge of the station house and all property of the Police Department. The Office of the Chief of Police develops and maintains the department’s budget and town report. The Chief of Police is responsible for the hiring process and recommendations for promotion.
The Chief of Police is responsible for labor relations, negotiations at the policy level and responding to employee complaints or grievances. The Chief manages and operates the Town’s emergency 9.1.1 operations center and manages the department’s false alarm program.
Within the Office of the Chief of Police are the following:
Internal Affairs:
The Chief of Police supervises Internal Affairs.
Responsibility for this Branch Function entails ensuring that the integrity of the department is not compromised by misconduct of any employee. After a thorough and objective investigation is conducted, corrective measures will be taken to restore the integrity of the department if an employee has been found to be in violation of any department policy, procedure, rule, regulation, Federal or State Statute.
EEO/AA:
The Office of the Chief of Police is responsible for ensuring that the Department is in compliance with the Town of North Reading’s policies on Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions in hiring and assignment policies, rules and procedures.
Administrative Services:
There shall be an Administrative Assistant assigned to the Chief of Police. Among the function of this office are; special projects, overtime, payroll, purchasing, budgeting, and other allied functions. This is a non-sworn position.
Accreditation Management Unit:
Under the direction of the Chief of Police, the responsibility of this unit is to ensure that periodic reports, reviews, and other activities mandated by applicable accreditation standards are accomplished, in accordance with Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission standards.