Units

SEMLEC is comprised of several units, which can be activated by a member police department when needed for emergencies, special events, ceremonies, missing persons, or other events where they are needed.

The Units are:

• SEMLEC SWAT
• Mobile Operations Division/Motorcycle Unit
• Anti-Crime Unit/Detectives
• Search and Rescue
• Dive Team
• Critical Incident Stress Management
• K9
• Bicycle
• Drone

SEMLEC SWAT Team

SWAT Teams trace their origins back to the 1960s in response to acts of violence and sniping against police officers and civilians. Today, it consists of some of the most highly-trained law enforcement officers in the nation. In Southeastern Massachusetts, it consists of officers from the 30 cities and towns in our region. The team is activated upon the request of a member police department of police chief.

• Control Chief: Chief Joao (John) Chaves, Halifax Police Department
• Assistant Control Chiefs:
  • Chief Marc Duphily, Carver Police Department,
  • Chief James Donovan, Raynham Police Department

Mobile Operations Division

The Mobile Operations Division is a pooling of 16 municipal police department motorcycle units in Southeastern Massachusetts. The motorcycle units can be activated by a member agency for various purposes, including crowd control, traffic direction/enforcement, funeral duty, motorcade/escorts, and special events. The unit is active every year for the Boston Marathon and other major events in the region.

• Control Chief: Chief Michael Miksch, Hanson Police Department

Unit Commanders:

• Lt. Dan Connolly, Whitman Police Department
• Lt. Mike Casey, Hanson Police Department
• Officer Justin King, Mattapoisett Police Department
• Officer Brian Morgan, Pembroke Police Department

Mobile Command Vehicle

• Control Chief: Chief Matthew Perkins, Lakeville Police Department

Critical Incident Stress Management

A peer driven, clinically supported, law enforcement unit, CISM, is brought in post-incident to debrief police officers. It is police officers helping police officers navigate the emotional aftermath of a traumatic event, based on personal experience and specialized training.

• Control Chief: Chief Joseph Perkins, Middleborough Police Department
• Unit Director: Detective Robert Swartz, Taunton Police Department

Search and Rescue

The SEMLEC Search and Rescue Team is dedicated to providing assistance to local, state and federal entities, by providing highly motivated and specially trained personnel in the areas of management, search, recovery and unification of missing and abducted persons, disaster response and evidence search and recovery.

Mission Response

• • Search for Missing/Lost Persons: The SEMLEC SAR Team searches for all types of missing and lost persons in the wilderness, urban-wilderness interface and urban environment.
  • Evidence Search: Search tactics lends themselves very well to evidence search. Team members are trained in “tight grid” search tactics and techniques and have been very successful in evidence recovery.
  • Light Urban Search and Rescue (Light USAR): With disasters like tornados, hurricanes, severe weather and other natural and manmade disasters, SAR team members are trained in light USAR. They can support other teams such as Technical Rescue Teams and USAR Teams.
• Control Chief: Chief Timothy Hanlon, Whitman Police Department

Detectives

• Control Chief: Chief Michael Myers, Fairhaven Police Department

Marine / Dive Team

The mission of the SEMLEC Underwater Recovery Unit is to provide underwater search and recovery services involving victims, evidence, and property to requesting member agencies. The unit consists of scuba divers, line tenders, and vessel operators.

• Control Chief: Chief Brian Levesque, Dartmouth Police Department

K9 UNIT

• Control Chief: Chief James Donovan, Raynham Police Department
• Unit Commander: Sgt. Frank Pacheco, Raynham Police Department

Bicycle Response Team