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Groton RTM approves $11.82M public safety budget; chief highlights staffing, training and bridge response plans
Summary
The RTM approved the police department’s $11.82 million operating request and approved capital for a new paging system and radio replacements; Chief Assaro described staffing shortfalls, training investments and coordination with DOT for bridge-construction response.
Groton’s Representative Town Meeting unanimously approved the public-safety operating budget of $11,818,557 and related capital equipment to support departmental communications.
Committee chair Allen presented the budget, noting a $399,684 (3.5%) increase driven primarily by personnel costs. Chief Assaro summarized department priorities, training and equipment needs; members questioned recruitment, overtime impacts and coordination with state and regional partners.
On the police‑building paging system (CIP7E), the RTM approved $185,000 to restore an overhead paging capability lost when the town switched to a voice‑over‑IP phone system. Chief Assaro explained the operational need: when “there’s a critical incident… you need to be able to page,” and described paging as a practical safety tool for directing on‑site staff during building incidents.
Answering a separate line of inquiry about 911 operations, the chief clarified that the state runs the 911 infrastructure: “The 911 system is run by the state of Connecticut… it’s outside the scope of our ability to control,” and said the local 911 center is on the main floor with a basement backup that can serve during exercises or emergencies.
Councilors also approved a $250,000 CIP (CIP7C) to replace aging mobile and portable radios; the chief said units are near end-of-life and batteries and replacements have become cost‑prohibitive. Members asked about interoperability with state radio systems; the department noted it uses the state backbone and that converting the local tower to the state system proved more cost‑effective than building an independent system.
The meeting included extended questioning about bridge construction, staged response and the potential role of DOT cameras and pre‑staged tow and EMS resources. The chief said dispatchers gained access to bridge cameras and public‑safety partners are meeting regularly with DOT and contractors to plan staging and emergency-response procedures. He also described drone-as-first-responder options as under consideration to provide rapid situational awareness during incidents.
All public-safety votes were recorded as unanimous in the meeting minutes. Members asked the department to continue reporting on staffing, grant opportunities and incident‑response plans as the bridge work proceeds.
