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Police staffing and overtime under scrutiny as Northfield trims officer headcount in budget draft

Northfield Town Budget and Financial Review Subcommittee · December 23, 2025

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Summary

The proposed FY2026'27 budget lists a chief, five officers and one dispatcher, raising questions about whether five officers can sustain 24/7 coverage and whether overtime lines are sufficient. The committee asked to hold staffing figures until an interim chief and further analysis are available.

The subcommittee reviewed public safety O&M lines and expressed concern that the draft budget's staffing level (chief plus five officers and one dispatcher) may not reliably sustain 24/7 coverage without greater overtime expenses.

Members pointed out that time off for training, court appearances and illnesses increases overtime pressure; the draft separates regular overtime from overtime due to holiday pay and shows $65,000 for regular overtime plus a separate holiday overtime line. Committee members said the overtime totals may be understated given historical spikes and the department's vacancies over the last year.

Board members asked staff to hold further staffing-level decisions pending a clearer interim chief plan and to provide a schedule and assumptions showing how five officers would be deployed to sustain 24/7 coverage including contingencies for court time and leave.

"I think to run a 24 by 7 efficiently . . . I think you need 6 officers," one participant said, urging follow-up analysis before finalizing the police personnel budget.