Acushnet police chief warns of staffing gaps; board backs search for laterals and funding options

Provisional Chief Gary Coppa told the Acushnet Select Board the police department faces staffing shortfalls that are producing regular overtime and uncovered shifts.

Coppa said retirements and deployments have eliminated a staffing buffer that once let the department cover sick days, training and short-term vacancies without using overtime. He also said dispatch has lost part-time coverage and the town now relies on four full-time dispatchers, creating two shifts a week that require overtime and placing sustained pressure on operators. “The result is two open shifts a week and any days off taken by any uniform officer ... are now have to be filled at overtime,” Coppa said.

Board members discussed options. Several urged the chief to pursue lateral transfers first—contacting neighboring departments to see if trained officers will move—before calling the civil-service list and incurring academy costs. Members also supported authorizing the chief to recruit actively, and one member recommended adding a patrol position and a fifth dispatcher in the next budget cycle to reduce overtime. Staff and members said they will investigate a state grant program mentioned in the minutes that could subsidize hiring costs for an initial period, and asked the chief to provide a memo summarizing needs and budget options.

The board did not take a final hiring vote at the meeting but directed town staff to work with the chief on recruitment steps and to return with cost estimates for posting and training.