What rights do I have if I am arrested?

When a person is arrested he/she has a right to know the reason for the arrest, i.e., the charges; the right to use the telephone to contact family, friends or attorney and to arrange for bail; and the right to be brought before a magistrate to be availed to bail.

Must an officer always read the Miranda rights to me when I am stopped?

No. An officer should read the Miranda rights to you if you are in custody and the officer interrogates you. Custody is defined as a situation where the officer places you under arrest or otherwise prevents you from leaving the scene.

Are police officers required to wear name tags on their uniforms

No. It depends on the policy of the police department. Any community which accepts the provision of M.G.L. Chapter 41, Section 98 provides, “no police officer shall be required to wear a name tag on his uniform. In lieu of a nametag, officers are required to wear a badge with an identifying number attached.

I have a License to Carry Firearms and an FID card. What are my responsibilities when I move to a different address?

Within 30 days, you are required to notify the licensing authority who issued the license or FID Card, the licensing authority in the community where you move to and the Commissioner of Public Safety of your address change. Your License to Carry Firearms can be suspended or revoked, depending on the policy of the licensing authority who issued the license. The policy of the Groveland Police Department is to suspend your license for a period three months for the first offense.

After being involved in an accident, how long do I have to submit an operator’s accident report to the police department?

The person operating the vehicle or, in the case where the operator is hospitalized and unable to submit the report, the owner if not the operator must submit the report within 5 days after the accident, M.G.L. Chp. 90, Sec. 26. The accident report form may be obtained at the Groveland police station or other local police department.

Can I obtain a copy of my driving record from the police department?

No. An individual’s driving record can only be obtained from the Registry of Motor Vehicles. We are not permitted to use our Teletype terminal for any other purpose except law enforcement. The Teletype cannot be use as a service to the public.

Can I come to the police station and obtain a copy of my criminal record for employment purposes?

No. The Criminal Offense Record Information (CORI) statute permits police officers only to use a person’s criminal history information for the purposes of establishing a suspect identity, to aid in criminal investigations, and for applicants who seek employment with the police department. To obtain a copy of your criminal history you can come to the police station and ask for a copy of the personal criminal history request form. The form must be mailed or hand carried by the person requesting the information to the Criminal History System Board.

Can a homeowner perform construction or other heavy work on his/her property on Sundays?

It depends. A homeowner is allowed to work, i.e., repair work, roofing, construction with heavy equipment, etc., on his/her home or property so long as the work is not being done by a contractor. In Groveland, the homeowner may not start such work before 7:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and must end by 7:00 p.m. A contractor may be permitted to work on Sunday if approved by the Chief of Police.

I want to become a police officer. Is there an age limit requirement?

No. As long as you can pass the physical standards and physical agility’s tests, your age is not a factor.

A family member was arrested. How can I prevent his/her name from being published in the local newspapers?

There is nothing you can do. M.G.L. Chapter 41, Section 98F, the public log law, requires local police departments to keep and maintain a daily log, recording in chronological order, all responses to valid complaints received, crimes reported, the names, addresses of persons arrested and the charges against such persons arrested. The local newspapers covering Groveland have a policy to publish such information without exception. This is necessary because it would not be fair to publish the names of some and not the names of others.(Exception: Handicapped individuals who are physically or mentally incapacitated to the degree that said person is confined to a wheelchair or is bedridden or requires the use of a device designed to provide said person with mobility, shall be kept in a separate log and shall not be a public record nor shall such entry be disclosed to the public.)