Laconia Police Commission swears in new officer, approves travel requests and reviews $200,000 video-wall grant

The Laconia Police Commission sworn in Officer Bennett Morrow and unanimously approved several out-of-state training requests during a meeting that also included department updates on staffing, budget and a planned “real-time crime center.”

At the meeting, Commissioner Mello administered the swearing-in and Officer Bennett Morrow answered “I do.” Morrow, introduced by department staff, grew up in Upton, Massachusetts, moved to Meredith in 2021, and graduated from Merrimack College with a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice and a minor in business administration. He previously interned with the Laconia Police Department and served as a community resource officer over the past summer.

The commission voted unanimously to approve a slate of out-of-state training and conference requests submitted by department members. The approved travel included dispatcher Kenny Smith’s attendance at a dispatch conference in Orlando (April 14–17) with a listed total cost of $2,233.95 (tuition $659; meals $207; lodging $916; travel $451.95). Other approved items included a FBI National Academy retrainer (Baltimore, Aug. 2–5; approximate cost $3,000), a mobile device investigations course in Topsham, Maine ($295), a Gracie Survival tactical recertification for Officer Tyler Rouse in Telford, Pennsylvania ($3,102), and two dispatcher customer-service sessions ($250 each). The commission recorded the PERF conference cost as “not specified” in the materials provided to the commission.

Chief Steve Canfield presented staffing and operational updates. The department currently shows four open sworn positions, with one candidate in background who is full-time certified and likely to reduce the vacancies to three if hired. Canfield told commissioners the department’s year-to-date finances are “on track,” reporting it is $124,802 under budget when adjusting for a salary-line reporting discrepancy (the packet showed $4,600,000 but the correct salary figure should be $4,800,000 pending city accounting adjustments).

Canfield described a planned real-time crime center to centralize video feeds from voluntary sources—street cameras, banks, schools and other private systems—to aid investigations and incident response. “We do have a $200,000 grant for the…video wall,” Canfield said, and identified FUSIS as the vendor software under consideration; he said the software can integrate live feeds from newer body-worn cameras and display officer locations and camera views for incident command. The chief said he expects to arrange a FUSIS demonstration for the commission in the coming weeks.

Operations highlights reported by Canfield included winter parking enforcement, the summer shift bid process (officers bid by seniority), ongoing taser recertification training, and work on a K-9 replacement plan for K-9 Abby, who is nearing the end of service alongside handler Officer Kyle Jepsen. Monthly statistics presented to commissioners covered arrests, overdoses and calls-for-service; Canfield reported 39 drug overdoses and four overdose deaths for 2024.

Votes at a glance: - Acceptance of minutes (Dec. 18): Motion by Commissioner Amello; second by Commissioner Davis. Outcome: passed unanimously. - Approval of out-of-state training/school requests: Motion by Commissioner Mills; second by Commissioner Davis. Outcome: passed unanimously. (Individual travel items and estimated costs were presented to commissioners before the vote.) - Adjournment: Motion and second noted on the record (second by Commissioner Davis). Outcome: passed unanimously; meeting adjourned at 2:25 p.m.

The commission scheduled its next meeting for Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. and had no new business or citizen comment during this session.