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Plaistow swears in new police officer and approves multiuse cruiser purchase
Summary
The Plaistow Select Board swore in Donald C. Butler as a full‑time police officer and approved up to $60,000 to purchase and upfit a multipurpose Ford Explorer for patrol and details, to be paid from the police detail fund.
The Plaistow Select Board swore in Donald C. Butler as a full‑time member of the Plaistow Police Department and approved a purchase and upfitting plan for a multipurpose Ford Explorer to serve as patrol and detail vehicle.
Interim Police Chief Jason Mather introduced the new hire, describing Butler’s background and the department’s recruitment push. "My name is Jason Mather. I'm the interim police chief, for the Plaistow Police Department," Mather said, outlining Butler's certification and experience. The board administered the oath of office and congratulated the officer before a brief photo opportunity.
The board then considered a department request to replace a transferred administrative/detail vehicle with a Ford Explorer configured both for patrol and for detail work. Mather told the board the department had two options: a prebuilt, fully upfitted cruiser priced just under $65,064, or purchasing the vehicle and using a local upfitter in Atkinson (Island Tech) to match the department's existing lighting and equipment at a lower total cost. "The cruiser itself and the upfitting for Island Tech was about $59,007.71 for the total cost of that vehicle," Mather said, and explained that local upfitting would allow the department to specify needed features and simplify future service.
Selectman [mover recorded in transcript] moved to approve the quote and upfitting “up to $60,000,” which was seconded and approved by voice vote. The purchase and upfitting will be funded from the police detail fund; staff said the account balance was around $200,000 at year‑end and that the detail fund would cover the cost.
The board’s approvals included a plan to use Island Tech in Atkinson for upfitting, which the chief described as able to meet the department’s timeline and specifications. No specific delivery or in‑service date was given beyond staff saying the vehicle could be picked up immediately from the dealer and the upfitter estimated a turnaround of roughly a month once the vehicle was in hand.
The board’s actions leave the department with a multipurpose vehicle intended for patrol, transport capability and detail use, while new officer Butler begins his assignment.
