Torrington chiefs report staffing, overtime and equipment updates; board accepts monthly reports

Torrington police and fire leadership briefed the Board of Public Safety on staffing, overtime, training and equipment at the Sept. 3 meeting; the board accepted the July reports and an EMS activity report by voice vote.

Police Chief Bill Baldwin said the department continues recruitment efforts and is trying to “curb that amount of overtime.” He reported the department was at about 74% of its overtime budget to date and described steps to reduce overtime, including limiting some community-event staffing. Baldwin also reported 406 traffic-related incidents in July, of which 243 were speeding offenses; officers made eight DWI arrests and responded to 109 motor-vehicle crashes.

Chief Baldwin said four recruits are scheduled to graduate from police academies on Sept. 17 — three from Meriden and one from Waterbury — and three certified officers are considering a transition to the department. Deputy Chief Barone added that three officers currently on field-training will complete their training in coming weeks.

Fire Chief David Tripp reported Engine 1 was put in service the day of the meeting and that an annual Emergency Preparedness (EPPI) exercise, required for EMPG grant eligibility, is scheduled for Sept. 9 at the Emergency Operations Center. Tripp said the department had been short-staffed, estimating it is down by four positions, and that July overtime rose due to vacations and long-term absences; he said no hiring is planned for the current fiscal year. Tripp also updated the board on the Torrinford apparatus transfer to the city and said legal work on the property transfer was near completion. The chief said the department is evaluating options to change the Torrinford vehicle’s yellow color either by wrap (cost estimate ballparked at $10,000) or a paint job.

The board approved a motion to accept Officer Jeffrey Larias as a regular member of the Joint Chiefs Police Department effective Aug. 26, 2025, after completion of his probationary period. The board also accepted the fire chief’s July report and the EMS provider activity reports by voice vote.

Chief Tripp and Chief Baldwin publicly thanked mutual aid partners and ambulance crews; Tripp noted a July second-alarm fire that displaced seven residents and resulted in two injured firefighters transported to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital. The chiefs also thanked volunteers who supported the MDA drive that raised about $12,000, according to remarks during the meeting.

The board recessed briefly after the awards ceremony to allow honorees and families to exit, then resumed the regular agenda for reports and votes.