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Date: 8/11/2021
CHICOPEE – The Counter Criminal Community Policing Unit - also known as the C3 Unit - of the Chicopee Police Department has been temporarily readjusted due to staffing issues and vacation schedules.
The C3 Unit was started in early 2020 with goals of facilitating “unity of effort and criminal intelligence by gathering by, with and through inter-agency, community and private enterprise cooperation in order to detect, disrupt, and dismantle criminal activity in Chicopee center,” according to a Chicopee Police Department Facebook post.
Sgt. Thomas Gazda, Officer John Slachetka and Officer Keith Hevey were selected to spearhead this unit in Chicopee Center at their 35 Center St. location.
In a post made on the Chicopee Police Department’s Facebook page on July 13, the C3 Unit reminded residents and business owners in downtown Chicopee about their weekly meetings.
The meetings were hosted to help the C3 Unit facilitate discussions and relationships with Chicopee Center residents and businesses, answer any questions or concerns and discuss important news.
Gazda, however, said that he only recently learned the C3 Unit would be temporarily adjusted. Gazda said that a resident ran one of their recent meetings, but he is unsure if they will continue at this time.
“Unfortunately, temporarily, because we’re so short-staffed in our department, myself and another officer were pulled to go back to patrol. We have one officer remaining, he’s there but on vacation this week, and we don’t know if he’s going to be pulled back too. Our unit is kind of in a flux right now. I was told this was temporary, but I wasn’t given a date for when we’re going to start back up,” said Gazda. “Unfortunately, if we don’t get back together, we’ll stop letting people into our building to have these meetings.”
Gazda said that he hopes the C3 Unit will be able to get back to work in downtown Chicopee within a month or so.
“I’m just hoping I get a better idea. I get different answers from everybody that I talk to and hopefully I’ll get an answer soon officially about when we’re back and working down in Chicopee Center,” he said.
Many residents expressed their concerns with the readjustment and lack of information on Facebook.
“Bring back the C3 team. The merchants want them, the center residents want them,” said resident Frank Kolek in the comments of the ChicopeeTV Facebook stream of Mayor John Vieau’s briefing before the Aug. 3 City Council Meeting.
“Why was the C-3 unit disbanded?” asked resident John Urban on the stream.
Resident Ruth Kolek wanted to know why Vieau terminated the C3 Unit.
“And why didn’t he say that the mayor cancelled the C3 Police in downtown?” she asked.
In a statement to Reminder Publishing, Vieau said that the C3 Unit has not been disbanded and will be returning once able to do so.
“Unfortunately, due to staffing constraints in our Police Department over the summer, we will be readjusting the C3 Policing activities for a month or two in the Center. It is planned on returning to full complement and our commitment to the C3 Policing program remains,” said Vieau.
Those interested in learning more about the C3 Unit and future updates are encouraged to visit the Chicopee Police Department’s Facebook page.