Select Board appoints local officer and hears detailed police budget, staffing concerns

The Town of Hampden Select Board on March 3 endorsed the police chief’s recommendation to appoint Andrew Poyen to a full‑time police officer position and reviewed the police department’s proposed FY26 budget, which the chief said includes increases driven by contract obligations, cruiser maintenance and career incentive payments.

The appointment follows interviews and a background check; the chief told the board that Poyen, who lives in town, is currently a corporal at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and has completed required certifications and training. The appointment is contingent on a scheduled psychological exam, the chief said. The board voted to approve the appointment; the appointee and department paused briefly afterward for a photograph.

Board members spent the bulk of the meeting reviewing the department’s advisory sheet and budget submission. The chief described moderate increases across multiple line items: salary steps and contract obligations, a rise in career incentive pay tied to educational qualifications, higher cruiser maintenance costs and increased building and general expenses. He said the department is not seeking a new cruiser in the coming year but anticipates higher maintenance spending as older vehicles accumulate miles and hours.

The chief also discussed staffing and overtime. He told the board that minimum‑manning rules in the current collective bargaining agreement complicate flexible coverage: using detectives or other officers to backfill shifts frequently produces overtime costs. The chief said reducing overtime by hiring a single full‑time officer would not match current overtime spending and that addressing the department’s coverage would likely require multiple new hires or a larger restructuring of schedules.

Members questioned a proposal the chief raised earlier to create a non‑union lieutenant position in addition to sergeants. The chief described a lieutenant as a potential benefit for internal investigations and supervision, but he said the town would need to weigh salary effects and contract changes. Board members and the chief also discussed the school resource officer (SRO) role. The chief said state certification requirements and contract rules make it difficult to reassign an SRO without triggering overtime or minimum‑manning consequences. He added that certifying additional officers as SROs is possible but carries training costs.

Other budget details included: a career incentive line that will take effect July 1 for newly eligible officers; questions about payout for an expected retirement that the chief said would be handled by employee benefits through the treasurer; and the inclusion of an animal control officer vehicle in maintenance estimates. The chief said the department has begun using online and hybrid training options again since the Massachusetts Police Training Committee resumed some online in‑service offerings.

The discussion ended with board members acknowledging a roughly 6% increase proposed in the department’s advisory request and encouraging continued efforts to identify line‑by‑line detail and cost justifications. The board did not change the budget at the meeting; the chief said final salary and payout numbers remain subject to contract negotiations and the town’s budgeting process.

The Select Board approved the appointment and recorded the budget presentation for further review ahead of town meeting and the joint advisory process.