For Criminal Justice and Public Safety Day, the Leadership Greater Nashua Class of 2025 began our morning at the Nashua Police Department on 28 Officer James Roche Drive. We had the pleasure of hearing from Officer Ben Stusse, who donned a fabulous Christmas sweater—not just to bring smiles, he told us, because it helps with disarming the people around him. Officer Stusse has been assigned to the Nashua Police Athletic League (PAL) for the past four years. While PAL holds a special place in the hearts of many of our classmates, we learned it is not the only program the Nashua Police Department offers to connect with Nashua’s diverse youth and families.
Our group learned about The Mirror Project and Shop with a Cop! The Mirror Project allows youth to “switch” roles with two officers. This includes trying on a badge and experiencing what a police officer feels about having all their interactions be recorded. As Officer Ben put it, “We can’t arrest our way out with youth… That only solves the problem in the moment, while The Mirror Project will hopefully start to affect the youth in the long term.”
Shop with a Cop was another touching program. Officers volunteer their time to take children shopping at Target for their families. This program, geared toward elementary school students, aims to provide a positive experience that will leave a lasting impression on Nashua’s young residents.
Throughout the day, we heard from many impactful speakers. Lieutenant Chad MacGregor of the Nashua Police Department spoke about mental health and peer support within their field. Peer support is more crucial than ever. Although it became an official support program in 2012, it continues to expand and strengthen as the need increases. As you would expect officers are deeply affected by the calls and interactions they handle. They experience trauma and, like us, need ways to cope. Peer support equips them with positive skills and coping mechanisms.
In the past, peer support was informal, referred to as “covert peer support,” where officers would meet secretly to discuss their experiences and struggles. While those conversations were helpful, the department recognized the need for a more structured and accessible program, leading to the development of today’s comprehensive peer support initiatives.
During the morning session, we not only heard from amazing speakers but also witnessed exciting demonstrations from the officers using a drone and members of SWAT. We even met their highly trained K-9 furry team members, Ozzy and Oakley, who were the best boys at their respective tasks!
Did you also know that Nashua officers receive diversity training tailored to the needs of the community? There are so many wonderful things the Nashua Police Department does that often go unnoticed by the community and media.
It’s clear that our Nashua officers are continually working to shift negative perceptions of law enforcement! Our class learned it’s important to remember that behind the badge is a human being, someone like you, seeking support and connection. I will speak for our class to say we were all impressed by everything we learned during Criminal Justice and Public Safety Day. Our LGN class learned these collective efforts by our police department truly contribute to strengthening our community.
Thank you to everyone at the Nashua Police Department. Your dedication and hard work do not go unnoticed!
Kateland Nowakowski
Humane Society for Greater Nashua
Lunch was graciously provided by Texas Roadhouse and during this time we were introduced to James O’Mara Jr who was the Superintendent of the Hillsborough County Department of Corrections from 1991-2011. Mr. O’Mara provided an initial synopsis of the differences between the various systems of incarceration which included:
- Jail- waiting for trial
- House of Corrections-sentenced to less than 1 year
- Prison-sentenced to more than 1 year
- Penitentiary-Federal incarceration
- Laws for prisons differ from state to state
During his time as Superintendent, it was his goal to humanize the facility, removing the barriers and promoting civility and respect. Cells were lined up in a half-moon pattern with a day room in the middle, allowing for more open space for the inmates. Mr. O’Mara advocated leading by example and worked with the inmates and staff to address inmates’ belief in reinventing themselves. He brought in Nurses, Doctors, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, Security, and strived for addressing the inmates as a whole and not the reason they were incarcerated for. He was a huge proponent of addressing Mental Health and brought in providers from Manchester Mental Health. He had a strict No Hands-On Policy unless it was absolutely necessary.
Mr. O’Mara created ideas for generating additional revenue. One such idea consisted of selling beds to the Federal Government. As he laid out the idea, he stated that he had the staff, the room and the beds, the lights were on, and services were available. This was the ability to maximize the potential. He had 275 inmates but in its heyday he had 734. He generated 6 million in revenue.
In his belief in the inmates, he prompted furloughs for Thanksgiving and Christmas and personally went to the facility to thank the Officers on duty that worked those holidays. He also endorsed the concept that if the inmate served two thirds of their sentence and there weren’t any disciplinary actions, the inmate could be eligible for parole. The objective was to release with the intent of not reoffending.
When Mr. O’Mara first accepted the position of Superintendent there was an ongoing pool that he would never finish out the first year. He retired from this position in 2011 and made a lasting positive impact on the inmates and the community.
We then traveled to the Lake Street Fire and Rescue Station. Adam Pouliot Chief & Fire Marshall of Nashua Fire & Rescue was our first speaker, and he addressed the organizational structure that includes 6 fire stations in the city of Nashua. These locations house staff of various teams, including Haz Mat, Dive, Emergency Services, Fire Alarm Division and Training and Safety.
Their Mission Statement is to “create a save and vibrant community through risk reduction, preparedness, and a proactive all hazards response plan.”
Chief Pouliot addressed the importance of having functional fire alarms in your homes and working environments and cautioned that smoke inhalation is a predominant factor in deaths related to fires. He stated that an acceptable response time is 7 minutes or less from dispatch to on scene, but certain contributing factors may slightly delay this response. He informed us of the 866 red fire boxes located within the city that carry 131 miles of cable. These boxes will work even when 911 doesn’t.
Our last speaker of the day was Tara Murphy Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Nashua. She explained that her primary responsibility was addressing all hazards and threats and coordinating resources for people. Tara works closely with different agencies in Nashua including the Police Department, Fire Department, Public Health Department, the City of Nashua as well as many others. She offers training to mitigate risk and manage overall the City’s ability to be prepared for such emergencies.
We concluded our day by touring the Lake Street Fire and Rescue Station and our tour guide was Deputy Chief Mike Curran. He brought us to the bay area where we could view the fire trucks and various equipment. Several of our LGN class suited up in the extensive gear and got an idea as to what was involved in performing various tasks while sporting this gear. Others hopped a ride in the bucket truck to get an arial view of the city. The team at the Lake Street Fire and Rescue Station was so accommodating and eager for us to get a glimpse of their work. A good time was had by all.
Meg Panteli
Bellwether Community Credit Union
