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Police FAQs

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1. Where do I pay my parking ticket fine?

Parking ticket fines are paid to the Parking Clerk located at the Selectmen's office at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington Street.

2. How can I obtain the criminal record of someone other than me?

In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, local police departments may not obtain background checks on individuals as a public information request. This is called CORI (Criminal Offender Records Information) and it is against the law for the police department to give out such information. However, you may call the Criminal History Board at (617) 660-4600 for mor information on how to obtain a criminal check on an individual.

3. When must I report an auto accident (crash)?

When ther is over $1,000.00 in total accident damages and / or personal injury.

4. What information do I need from the other operator?

You will need all of the information from their operator's driver's license and vehicle registration.

5. What if I don't know who hit my car?

Call the police immediately, and if possible, do not move the vehicle.

6. Who do I send my written crash report to?

a) Send one copy of your Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operators Report of Motor Vehicle Crash to the police department in the city of town where the crash occured.

b) Send the original to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

c) Your insurance company may also want a copy.

d) Be sure to keep a copy for your own records

7. How long do I have to file my motor vehicle crash report?

You have five (5) business day to file your crash report.

8. Can I buy, rent, borrow, loan or sell my USED car seat?

Child Safety Seats (car seats) do not last forever. The safety level of the seat may diminish without showing signs of weakness until it is involved in a vehicular crash. The best practice for protecting your child is; new child, new seat. This does not mean you have to go broke buying car seats. Cost has nothing to do with the safety of the seat. Here are some reasons for not using a second hand seat. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.

1) It may be a recalled seat. 2) The manufacturer’s labels are missing.

3) It may too old (over six years). 4) It may have been in a crash.

5) It may have broken or missing parts.

9. When is it safe to turn my baby to a foreward facing position?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics it is safest to keep your baby rear facing up to the maximum, rear facing weight limit of your child safety seat. There is an old standard still in place that all infants MUST be rear facing up to one year of age AND twenty pounds. Due to a large number of spinal injuries to forward facing infants, the academy increased the standard to at least 30 pounds rear facing. Allowable weight limits vary with child safety seat manufacturers but all convertible seats are now made to be rear facing to 30 pounds as a minimum.

10. How tight does the harness system need to be on my child?

The harness system fit is vital to ensure that your child will remain in the car seat. The proper setting for this system is snug to one adult finger placed at the collar bone of the child coupled with the harness clip being placed at arm pit level (top of the plastic clip is just above the nipples). It is important to know that there needs to be a minimum of clothing or material between the harness strap and the child’s shoulders. An improperly fitted or impaired harness strap will not hold the child.

11. What are aftermarket products and why are they not recommended?

Aftermarket products are those items sold separately to enhance the child’s ride in the car. Examples are; mirrors, window blinds, belt adjusters,
stabilizing collars, toys and keepers. In short, if it did not come with your car seat, it is aftermarket. Aftermarket products are not subject to any crash testing or safety standards. Therefore, they are not recommended for use by the National Highway Traffic Administration.

12. When does a child ride in a booster seat and for how long?

Belt Positioning Boosters (booster seats) are designed to do one thing, to allow for the vehicle restraint system (seat belt) to fit the child properly.
Think of this as placing your child at the dinner table without a booster seat. He or she simply does not “fit” to the table. Now relate this to your vehicle seat. It is contoured for an adult fit. Your child needs a booster seat to “fit” the seat belt properly. Most children need to be in a booster seat between the ages of 4 and 8 and usually weight up to 80 pounds and are 4’ 9” tall.

Here is a simple test.
1) Can the child sit all the way back with knees bent over vehicle seat?
2) Does the lap belt stay low across the hips?
3) Does the shoulder strap lie across the breast bone?
4) Can the child stay in this position for the entire ride?
“No” to any of these questions indicate the need for a booster.

REMEMBER – ALL BOOSTER SEATS REQUIRE THE USE OF LAP AND SHOULDER SEAT BELTS.

13. Is the middle of the backseat always the safest place?

The middle of the back seat may be the furthest point from any impact to a child safety seat however it may NOT be the best place to fit the child safety seat. Many of today’s vehicles offer features that may hinder a proper and safe fit in the middle of the back seat. Most commonly, child safety seats are placed at an outboard seating position. The major concern of parents of course is a side impact or lateral collision. A properly installed child safety seat will ride down such a collision and with the addition of rear airbag curtains the safety level is quite high. The rear facing car seat is often cumbersome in many vehicles. It can have an adverse effect on the adjustability of the vehicle’s front seat. For this reason it is commonly installed behind the front passenger seat. A designed seating arrangement
for child safety seating is right to left according to age or middle to rear according to age when two rear seats exist. Children should not be riding in the front seat until they get their driver’s learners permit but if it is necessary than the seat should be all the way back. If the child is riding in a car seat (forward facing only) then the airbag should be off if possible.

14. Is the LATCH system safer to use than seat belts?

L.A.T.C.H (lower anchor and tether for children) is equally as safe to use as the vehicle seat belt. LATCH was designed to make the installation of a child safety seat more user friendly to parents, grandparents and caregivers.
LATCH is a three point system. All vehicles manufactured from 2003 must have at least two rear seating positions equipped with latch anchor points. One of the anchor points is for the tether strap and is located to the rear of the vehicle seat. The other two anchor points are located in the bite of the vehicle seat. All three positions are clearly marked. Each car seat is equipped with hooks or clips that lock onto the anchor points. The straps are then tightened for a secure fit. You DO NOT use both the LATCH system and the seat belt at the same time. Most vehicles manufactured between 2000 and 2003 will only have a rear tether anchor point. You should make use of it in conjunction with the vehicle seat belt. Lower anchor points should not be used to restrain a child weighing 48 pounds or more.

15. Which car seat is the best?

The best car seat is one that; fits your child, fits in the car, is properly installed and one that will be used on every ride. All child safety seats must meet the same U.S. Federal Safety Standard (fmvss213). The cost of the car seat has nothing to do with the safety of the car seat. They are all designed to hold and protect the child during a crash. What really makes the difference is the installation of the car seat. 96 percent of all car seats are improperly installed or used. It is recommended that all the manufacturer’s instructions are understood but your best source of help is a certified child passenger safety seat technician. You may go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov to locate a technician near you or contact Lt. Dave Millett at 781-631-1212.

16. Will every car seat work in every car?

NO. The issue of compatibility is a leading concern with child safety seats. Motor Vehicles are made for adults. Child safety seats are an adaptation to the vehicle design. Compatibility issues between the vehicle, the child safety seat, the child and the seat belt system must be overcome for a safe and secure fit of the child safety seat. While the LATCH system helps with these issues it is not a cure-all. Two door vehicles and sport models offer the greatest challenges to a safe car seat installation.

17. How can I keep my child safely in the car seat?

Many children dislike the confines of a properly fitted harness strap or seat belts on boosters. This is a difficult disciplinary problem but here are some tips. 1) Make sure everyone in the car buckles up on every ride. 2) Dress the child for comfort, avoid heavy clothing between the harness strap and child. 3) pull over and stop and tell the child that you cannot drive unless everyone is buckled up, it’s the law. There are harness systems specific to behavioral issues. Contact your pediatrician for references.