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Tamworth raises part-time police rate to $30; chief outlines grants for enforcement and equipment
Summary
The Select Board approved boosting the non-committed part-time police rate to $30 per hour (retro proposed) to stay competitive, and Chief Goldfield described three grants that would reimburse equipment and pay overtime for enforcement blocks; the board approved the wage change by roll call.
The Tamworth Select Board on Aug. 8 approved a motion to increase the hourly rate for non-committed part-time police officers from $25 to $30, a change the police chief said is necessary to remain competitive with nearby agencies.
Police Chief Goldfield told the board that the department is down staffing, pointed to regional shortages, and recommended the raise. “We currently pay our, non committed part time positions $25 an hour. The area agencies are paying $30 an hour,” Goldfield said. He proposed making the increase retroactive to cover hours worked in July by one part-time employee.
Goldfield also outlined three grant opportunities meant to modernize traffic enforcement and speed-management capabilities. One grant would reimburse equipment and items for cruiser ticket printing (a compact printer) and would help speed the ticketing process. A second is a speed-equipment grant that would buy a second post-model radar display sign and a radar data-collector box to validate complaints; the equipment items were priced at roughly $4,500 each and the state will reimburse up to 75% of those costs. The state also now funds electronic citation submission and will reimburse overtime costs for defined enforcement blocks, Goldfield said, allowing the town to seek reimbursement for overtime and benefits at 100% for the committed enforcement hours.
Board action: a motion to raise the non-committed part-time police rate to $30 per hour was made and carried by roll-call vote (board reported 5 yes, 0 no). The chief asked the board for retroactive coverage to pay for 11.5 hours worked by a part-time officer in July; the motion text and votes referenced retroactive coverage during discussion.
Why it matters: members characterized the move as necessary to recruit and retain part-time help amid regional shortages of law-enforcement applicants and rising local wages. Chief Goldfield said he will continue to pursue grants and consider tuition-assistance or other incentives for recruitment.
Next steps: staff will implement the pay change and process any retroactive hours; the police department will proceed with grant applications and coordinate with the board on any obligations tied to grant-funded enforcement blocks.
