The Town of Groton Police Department is announcing that beginning this week and continuing throughout the summer months, additional patrols will be instituted in the downtown Mystic area of town.
Patrols will consist of a combination of officers on walking beats, bicycles, and motor patrols. In addition, the Mystic Community Policing Office on Water Street will be staffed at various times of the day throughout the week. The reason for these increased patrols is to address the concerns related to the influx of traffic and visitors to Mystic during the summer months. Police will be addressing traffic and parking violations, while also having an overall increased police presence in the area to mitigate noise complaints and other issues and complaints that increase during the summer season. The department also plans to coordinate with the Department of Consumer Protection, Liquor Control Division to conduct routine compliance checks of local bars and restaurants. Compliance checks will be focused on preventing potential issues such as underage drinking, overserving of patrons, and reducing OUI operators. The department intends to work with businesses in order to ensure compliance with state law.
In addition, with the increased presence of pleasure craft and other vessels frequenting area waterways in the summer months, the department will increase the frequency of patrols utilizing the GTPD Marine Unit. The Marine Unit will patrol bodies of water surrounding Groton to include the Thames and Mystic Rivers as well as Fishers Island Sound and Long Island Sound. As a member of the local Port Security Working Group, we will work with the U.S. Coast Guard to enforce boating laws while conducting periodic vessel safety inspections to ensure the safety of those enjoying our waterways.
Chief L. J. Fusaro stated, “we are directing our efforts this summer to address the most prominent issues of concern to both our Groton residents and our many visitors. As we continue to see increasing numbers of tourists coming to the Mystic section of town, we will work to make this busy season safe and enjoyable for both groups by enforcing parking regulations, conducting traffic enforcement, and having a visible patrol presence on our streets, sidewalks and along our shoreline.”