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Simsbury approves two hires as police leaders cite staffing strains and accreditation review
Summary
At a departmental meeting, the Simsbury Police Department approved hiring Maureen Klinkert as a part-time records employee and John Butler as a police officer. Department leaders reported several patrol members on extended leave, ongoing field training, a pending CALEA on-site review in March and the launch of a Citizens Police Academy in March.
The Simsbury Police Department approved two personnel hires and described short-term staffing strains during a departmental meeting.
Department leaders presented the hires and staffing update, saying five members of the patrol division remain on extended leave and two officers are scheduled to complete field training in the coming weeks — changes the department said should relieve patrol pressure. The department also reported a remote fourth-year review by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) had gone well and that a CALEA on-site review is scheduled for March.
The department presented and the meeting approved the hiring of Maureen Klinkert for a part-time records position, effective Feb. 12, 2025, and John Butler as a full-time police officer, effective March 10, 2025. The votes were taken by voice; the meeting record shows motions, a second, and aye votes but does not list a roll-call tally.
The police chief (name not specified) said the department currently has "two officers full in field training and evaluation program" and that staffing relief is expected when those officers complete training. The chief also told the meeting that Kevin Ziegler, a newly hired dispatcher, "started work with us today" and will enter the department's communications training program.
On accreditation, the chief said an assessor from CALEA reviewed about 25% of the department's files remotely and praised the records: "the file structure and contents were excellent. Individual policies could easily be used as model policies for many agencies," the chief said, quoting the assessor. The department said it is preparing for a March on-site review by one or two CALEA assessors, who will interview members of the organization and observe operations.
The meeting also heard a brief overview of incident statistics and overtime trends. Leaders said overall expenditures remain below budget despite overtime continuing to trend upward. The department noted medical calls have risen in the last week and said it plans to staff a designated traffic unit Monday through Friday when patrol staffing allows.
John Butler, introduced as a candidate from the Hartford Police Department and a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves, told the panel he chose Simsbury because the department is "very community driven," and said he aims to pursue community-oriented policing and a long career with the department.
The department said it remains actively recruiting to fill current and potential future vacancies, including additional dispatch and patrol openings. No other formal policy changes or budget approvals were proposed or adopted during the discussion.
