By Theresa Knapp 

At its meeting on Oct. 24, the Holliston Select Board heard a presentation from the police department, and its consultant, on the department’s five-year strategic plan. 

Police Chief Matthew Stone said, “This is a rather unique time in law enforcement, in the profession in general,” adding that embarking on this strategic plan was completely voluntary. 

Stone said, “The board didn’t request me to do it, didn’t ask the police department to do it, it’s something we took on ourselves; and to go outside and to have an outside view, and have somebody really come in and really open up the books internally and do that confidential spot analysis…We opened up our books and our doors and our people to trusting [consultant] John in finding what’s working and what’s not working. I think it’s a good time in our profession to do that and to look inward and to have someone else from the outside look at our agency.” 

John Ostman of Ostman Business Strategies explained the strategic plan for FY2023 to FY2027 includes one vision, six goals, 25 objectives, 147 strategies, and 152 action plans, noting that some action plans are already underway. 

The plan’s goals include Organization, Culture and Communication; Professional Development and Training; Operations Excellence; Community Partnership and Engagement; Resources and Technology; and Enhance Facilities. 

Ostman explained “enhance facilities” includes an evaluation of the current police station (est. 2008) to include reassessing its current layout to improve utilization, plus make some technology improvements. He said, “One of the other objectives was to take a look at the west sector substation. I think there’s a town-owned property in the west sector that might be usable as sort of a satellite police station.” 

Select Board Chair Ben Sparrell said the police department’s strategic plan is a “great plan” and said he hopes the town can bring together individual department plans to find ways to work in a holistic way to reach collective goals while working on specific goals. 

The full presentation can be found at https://bit.ly/3Ai1P39