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Avon Police: radio upgrade planned, department short four officers; automated enforcement would require staff
Summary
Avon Police Chief told the Council the department is down four officers and has ordered radio equipment to join the State system by September 2024; Chief said an automated traffic enforcement program would require an additional officer to operate.
Paul Melanson, Avon's chief of police, told the Town Council that the department is "currently down four officers" and that recruitment for sworn positions continues to be challenging, with roughly a year typically required to fill each vacancy.
Melanson said all radio-system equipment has been ordered and is expected in April or May 2024, with a goal of migrating to the State radio system by September 2024; the water-tower radio site is being funded and operated by the State. He said the department has reclassified some incidents—pulling fraud statistics out of the larceny category to better reflect identity-theft activity.
Councilors asked about a cadet program (Melanson said there is a high-school cadet program in conjunction with Simsbury) and about automated traffic enforcement; Melanson responded that running an automated traffic enforcement safety-device program would require an additional full-time officer. Councilors also questioned the roughly $500,000 overtime figure; Melanson said the overtime line is a year-to-year carryover and vacant positions' budgeted salaries will be used to cover gaps when possible.
Melanson was recognized for involvement with state policing organizations; Council thanked officers for trail and neighborhood patrols. No formal staffing changes were enacted at the Feb. 10 session.
