Editor’s Note: Police in Newport, N.H recently apprehended a suspect by disguising themselves as firefighters, setting off a fire alarm in the building where he was holed up, and nabbing the guy when he opened his door.
A key to effective policing is creativity and this operation—conducted in collaboration between Newport Police Chief David Hoyt and Fire Chief Wayne Conroy—seems to be an outstanding example of some very clever thinking. A known felon with a violent history points a shotgun at a lone officer who had responded to a noise complaint; officer leaves to begin planning suspect’s arrest; suspect is believed to be in the apartment with a one-year-old and a woman; Chief Hoyt and Chief Conroy agree on the use of fire gear; police conduct the operation and arrest the suspect with no shots fired, nobody hurt. Nice job…right?
Well, not in everyone’s eyes. Some firefighters are concerned that the Trojan horse tactic damaged their image as “rescuers.” The president of Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire expressed concern that this approach could endanger firefighters and paramedics because “criminals no longer realize who’s there to help and who’s there to apprehend.”
What do you think? In a Police1 article, surveillance expert Pat McCarthy shared some equally creative ways to disguise yourself so you can do your job without causing alarm. Are these tactics dangerous? Do they put others at risk? Or are they examples of the kind of crucial, outside-the-box thinking that effectively helps cops nail suspects more safely? Join the conversation by adding your comments below, or email us your disguise ideas.
By Tom Fahey
State House Bureau Chief
The Union Leader
CONCORD — Firefighter groups said yesterday they don’t want a repeat of a Newport incident where police disguised themselves as firefighters to make an arrest.
Portsmouth Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire said it’s important that firefighters always be seen as rescuers, not as threats or adversaries.
“Not to Monday-morning quarterback,” he said, “but when the line gets blurred, it creates a very dangerous situation for us.” Police used a fire truck and firemen’s outfits Tuesday night to trick Matthew Miller, 34, into leaving his apartment on Sunapee Street so they could arrest him.
The incident began when Miller allegedly pointed a shotgun at the chest of a lone police officer who responded to a noise complaint. The officer left, and planning to arrest Miller began.
Police say Miller is a convicted felon and has a history of violent behavior. He was in the apartment with a 1-year-old and a woman, and police said they recovered several weapons at the scene.
“Police officers dressed as firefighters and using a fire truck entered the building and activated the fire alarm to evacuate residents in a safe manner so as not to bring attention to the pending arrest of Miller,” Newport Police Chief David Hoyt said in a news release issued Wednesday.
Hoyt and Fire Chief Wayne Conroy said they agreed on use of fire gear, but members of three firefighting groups criticized the action.
They said use of their gear to make arrests puts all firefighters in jeopardy when they respond to fires and rescue situations. They have asked Attorney General Kelly Ayotte and Commissioner of Safety John Barthelmes to convene a meeting to set clear guidelines for the future.
David Lang, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire, was most critical.
“The use of the firefighter and paramedic image in this way is inappropriate, should not be condoned and is not negotiable,” he said.
Hoyt defended his decision. Given circumstances, he said, he faced the possibility of a police officer or innocent bystanders being shot or killed. He said Miller was still in jail in lieu of bail yesterday.
LeClaire, who is president of the Seacoast Chief Fire Officers Association, said he understands the spot Hoyt was in. But he said there is a rising number of incidents nationwide in which firefighters have been shot when responding to emergencies.
The group also criticized police for pulling a fire alarm to clear the apartment building, but it’s not clear an alarm was actually pulled.
Conroy said no alarm was pulled that night, contradicting a statement in the police news release.
Chris Christopoulos, president of the New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs, said false alarms can “create an attitude among the public that fire alarms are false alarms, and not evacuate a building.”
Conroy said he and Hoyt spent an hour discussing how to handle the situation. He said he, a fire captain and four officers arrived in a fire department car and truck. They went directly to the apartment in question, on the pretext of investigating the smell of gas fumes. He estimated it took 90 seconds from their arrival to the arrest.
“I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion,” Conroy said. “I wish people would make sure they know the whole situation before making a mountain out something small.”
Ayotte said she plans to bring the parties together soon.
“It’s important that we get a common understanding as to what is appropriate,” she said. “We should remember that police and firefighters are all focused on protecting people and saving lives.”
Maj. Robert Stafford, assistant director of the Police Standards and Training council, said his agency provides basic training to police, and it is up to individual departments to provide training on responses to situations like the Newport incident.
Barthelmes said he thinks it’s important for all sides to meet and to clear the air.
“Certainly there are ruses that are used and are valuable,” he said. “In this case, it certainly worked with a positive outcome. The discussion has to be about whether that’s something that should be embraced in future.”
Guy Newberry, a battalion chief with the Concord Fire Department, said firefighters across the state are smarting about the Newport incident. Firefighters, he said, are in and out of houses, and there has to be an atmosphere of trust between the homeowner and rescue workers.
“We’re not armed; we’re no threat to them,” he said.
He said firefighters report any evidence of child abuse they see, but “we’ll sometimes turn a blind eye” toward evidence of drug crimes.
Copyright 2009 The Union Leader (Manchester, NH)