News - Ludlow Police Department

Chief Madera Retirement

January 17, 2020 by Sgt. Sean Knox

For Immediate Release

Thursday, January 17, 2020

Chief Madera Retirement

The Ludlow Police Department would like to announce the retirement of Chief Pablo P. Madera effective Friday, January 24, 2020, after a thirty-eight-year career with the police department.

Chief Madera joined the Ludlow Police Department on December 5th, 1982. As a twenty-year-old, he is one of the youngest officers to ever be appointed as a full-time Ludlow Police Officer in the modern era. He graduated from the Springfield Police Academy in 1983. He worked as a patrol officer for ten years until his Civil Service promotion to Sergeant in December of 1992. He then served as a shift supervisor as well as other supervisory assignments including being one of the first designated Community Police Officers and Bike Patrol Officers, supervising those officers for many years. Sgt. Madera helped create the first civilian police academies and the RAD program at the Ludlow PD.

He was also the police department’s primary grant writer that led Sgt. Madera to create and supervise the first civilian dispatchers which are now in the joint Police/Fire Central Dispatch.

On May 1, 2012, Sergeant Madera was promoted to Lieutenant Madera and was the second in command of the police department under Chief James J. McGowan.

In May 2013, Lieutenant Madera was appointed Acting Chief of Police with the retirement of Chief McGowan. He remained in that position until his permanent appointment to Chief of Police on July 1, 2014. He has served as the Police Department’s Chief Executive for over six years.

Chief Madera has led the police department to receive state certification through the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC). He has also created a regional Special Response Team in partnership with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Nick Cocchi.

Chief Madera is a graduate of Westfield State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice (1990) and of Western New England University with a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration (1996). He also graduated from the FBI National Academy in 1997. He is currently a guest lecturer at Western New England University and he is a certified instructor with the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee. He is also a Massachusetts certified EMT.

Lieutenant Daniel J. Valadas

Ludlow Police Department

612 Chapin St. Ludlow, MA 01056

(413)583-8305

Fax: (413)583-8283

dvaladas@ludlowpolice.com

Ludlow Special Police Scholarship Fundraiser

January 16, 2020 by Sgt. Sean Knox

On Wednesday, January 29^th,2020, The Ludlow Police Department would like to invite you to the Villa Rose Restaurant & Lounge for an all-day fundraiser, (12:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M). The Villa Rose and The Ludlow Police Department’s Special Police Unit are pairing up!! The Villa Rose will be generously giving back 20% of all food sales to the Ludlow Police Departments Special Police Association. Please join us in helping a wonderful cause with great food and great people.

Location:

Villa Rose Restaurant & Lounge

1428 Center Street

Ludlow MA, 01056

Time:

12:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M.

For more information please contact:

Lt. Valadas

413-589-9888 Ext. # 2214

The Villa Rose Restaurant and Lounge

413-547-6667

Parking Ban in effect from 12/17/19 through 12/18/19. No on Street Parking

December 16, 2019 by Sgt. Sean Knox

Ludlow Police Department Offers Tips To Prevent Holiday Package Theft

December 2, 2019 by Jordan Mayblum

LUDLOW – With the holiday shopping season officially here, Chief Paul Madera and the Ludlow Police Department wish to remind residents of several precautions they can take when ordering items online to help prevent their gifts from falling into the wrong hands.

“This holiday season, I encourage all of our residents to take care to ensure the gifts they’re ordering online make it to their intended destination,” Chief Madera said. “Unfortunately, criminals like to prey on those who have packages left unattended by their front doors, so we want to offer a few strategies residents can use to protect their property.”

Ludlow Police will have an increased presence throughout the community during the holiday season.

Tips to Prevent Holiday Package Theft:

To best ensure that your packages are not taken after they are delivered, Ludlow Police recommend the following tips:

Request notifications on your deliveries, via phone or email, to monitor your packages in transit and upon delivery. FedEx and UPS offer services to assist customers during the holidays.
Always require a signature on your deliveries to ensure packages are never left unattended.
Consider sending deliveries to an alternate location where someone will be able to receive them – whether that be a workplace, a neighbor or friend’s house, or a FedEx or UPS location.
Schedule your delivery for a specific date and time that you’re expected to be home.
Set up a vacation hold if you plan on traveling during the holidays so gifts won’t be left on the doorstep.
Be aware of “tailgating,” which refers to people who follow delivery vehicles and steal packages after they are dropped off.
If you find your package has been stolen, or see any suspicious activity, immediately report it to the Ludlow Police.
Never accept a surprise delivery where a payment is required, and never give out personal information when receiving a delivery that you purchased as it may be a scam.

Additionally, any suspicious people or vehicles in your neighborhood should immediately be reported to the Ludlow Police Department at 413-583-8305.

Additional Holiday Shopping Safety Tips:

Chief Madera would also like to offer tips to holiday shoppers on how to avoid any incidents or theft while shopping in stores and online:

As more people are on the road during the holiday season, be sure to drive carefully. Be patient when looking for a parking space. Don’t speed up in a parking lot to catch an empty spot. Look for other cars or people when backing out of a parking space, and back out slowly.
Keep shopping bags out of plain sight in your vehicle, preferably in your trunk.
Keep your purse close to your body or your wallet in an inside coat pocket or front pants pocket.
Save your receipts and monitor your credit card activity.
When shopping online, stick to retailers you know or have shopped with before.
Don’t use public Wi-Fi to make purchases in order to prevent hackers from intercepting your information.

The men and women of the Ludlow Police Department wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season!

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Ludlow Police Remind Residents to Remain Safe and Sober While Driving This Holiday Season

November 26, 2019 by Jordan Mayblum

With the holiday season kicking off this week, Chief Paul Madera and the Ludlow Police Department wish to emphasize the importance of remaining safe and sober while driving.

“We know the holidays are a great time to reconnect with friends and family, but that doesn’t mean there’s ever an excuse to drive impaired,” Chief Madera said. “It’s important to plan ahead and designate a driver or seek out alternative modes of transportation in order to avoid a tragedy this holiday season.”

The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, or “Thanksgiving Eve,” has become a night commonly associated with drinking and visiting bars. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 800 people died in alcohol-related crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period, from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. the following Monday, between 2012 and 2016.

Additionally, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 40 percent of traffic fatalities that occur during the holidays involve a driver who is alcohol-impaired, compared to 31 percent for the rest of the year. Mothers Against Drunk Driving reported that, in 2016, 48 percent of highway deaths on New Year’s Eve were alcohol related.

The Ludlow Police Department cautions people against drugged driving, including legal and illegal substances, such as marijuana and prescription medications.

To keep travelers safe, Chief Madera offers the following safety tips from the NHTSA:

Buckle Up, Drive Sober and Pay Attention

Always wear your seat belt.
Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In every state, it is against the law to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. Do not text while driving and always keep both hands on the wheel.
Be sure to have a designated driver to ensure that you and your family members are safe at all times in the motor vehicle.
If you see anyone with an alcoholic beverage, or if a person smells of alcohol, do not get into the car or let that person drive.

Plan Ahead

Utilize local taxi companies or ride-sharing services if you are impaired.
Plan your travel and route by checking the weather, road conditions, and traffic. Leave early, if necessary, and allow plenty of time to safely get to your destination.
Carry items in your vehicle that may prove useful in the event of an emergency or if you get stranded, including snow shovel, broom, ice scraper, jumper cables, flashlight, flares/emergency markers, blankets, mobile phone with charger, water, food and any necessary medicine.
If you become stranded, don’t run your vehicle with the windows up or in an enclosed space for an extended period of time to avoid asphyxiation from carbon monoxide poisoning. If you must run your vehicle, clear the exhaust pipe of any snow and run it only sporadically – just long enough to stay warm.

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