Chief’s Corner

By Chief Steven J. Wojnar

Dudley Police Department

            Crimes of violence, such as assault and battery or crimes of a worse nature occur too often.  With these offenses, the age of the victim is among the many factors of consideration.  I was asked how old a person must be in order to qualify as a "senior citizen" and what penalties apply to these individuals.
            Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265 contains most of the "crimes against the person."  Section 13 includes many assault and assault and battery crimes.  Section 13A is the standard assault and battery section.  It provides a maximum penalty for a conviction of up to two and one half years in jail or a fine of up to $1,000.  The term "senior citizen" is not used, however; the term "Elders" is found in section 13K.  An elder is anyone "sixty years of age or older."  Anyone who is convicted of an assault and battery on an elder is subject to any combination of the following: Up to three years in state prison, or up to two and one half years in the house of correction, and/or up to $1,000 in fines.  If "serious bodily injury" results from the attack, the maximum state prison term increases from three to five years.
            These sections also apply to persons with disabilities.  They provide other penalties for those individuals who are "caretakers" of either elders or disabled persons.  Many provisions in the laws provide added protection to these certain groups.  These crimes are considered serious and the penalties increase due to the vulnerabilities of certain individuals.

            The Dudley Police Evaluation Committee and our department are working with the Massachusetts Office of Human Resources to provide a written examination to aid in establishing an eligibilities list from which to fill vacancies on the Dudley Police Reserves.  The formal announcement is available on the Human Resources web site at Mass.Gov and applications are available at https://www.csexam.hrd.state.ma.us/hrd/.   Applications can be filed by Monday April 2, 2007 for a fee of $75.  No applications will be accepted after April 23^rd.   This examination is the same as the standard civil service test.

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