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Selectmen raise police detail officer pay to $75 an hour; administrative fee increased
Summary
The board approved increasing the officer portion of police detail pay from $63 to $75 per hour, raising the administrative fee to $24 and keeping the cruiser fee at $21 to align with neighboring towns and help recruitment. Officials said the detail fund covers costs and that the increase is intended to be sustainable.
Police leadership recommended increasing the officer portion of the detail rate to the $70-$75 range after a survey of surrounding agencies. "Right now we're at $63, which is paid to the officer," the department said while outlining comparative rates in Guilford, Laconia and neighboring towns.
Officials and some Selectmen discussed how the increase would be divided between the officer pay, cruiser fee and admin fee; the department proposed raising the officer portion to $75, the admin fee to $24 (to help cover retirement contributions for some officers) and retaining a $21 cruiser fee. The board moved to adopt those changes and the motion carried. Supporters said the increase keeps Alton competitive for officers who volunteer for details; skeptics questioned whether the jump would prompt vendors to cancel details or whether the town might need to adjust administrative accounting.
Town staff said the detail revolving fund has supported similar work in prior years and that the change is intended to reduce annual review frequency. The board approved the new detail rate structure by motion.
