Page 4 - February 2017

SP Andover Ensures Recreation Safety
Harold Parker State Forest is a Department Parker Road.
of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) maintained
public property situated in Essex and Middlesex
Counties. This area stretches from Middleton to
North Andover, with portions extending into North
Reading and Andover.
Harold Parker is one of the oldest properties in
the state park system, offering 3500 acres readily
used for camping, swimming, and hiking.
Parties wishing to use Harold Parker can arrive
by a myriad of avenues, as State Routes 114 and
125, as well as Middleton Road, Gould Road,
Salem Street, Jenkins Road, and, naturally, Harold
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The Massachusetts State Police barracks in
Andover, located on RT 125 at the Harold Parker
Road entrance, is the primary law enforcement
entity which patrols and responds to calls for
services within the park and surrounding areas.
Typical calls include, but are not limited to,
potential drowning instances, underage drinking,
illegal narcotics sales and usage, lost or missing
parties, noise complaints, erratic and negligent
motor vehicle operation endangering the public,
and some open and gross/lewd and lascivious
acts. During the 2016 calendar year the Andover
Barracks conducted over 100 property checks
and five requests for service, while the mounted
unit provided 15 days of mounted patrol on the off
road trails.
The range and pace of calls can differ with the
seasons, summer months being the timeframe
where more criminal activities occur and the winter
months with community caretaking functions and
public safety taking priority.
Although the State Police Andover Troopers
bear the responsibility of enforcing all state laws