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Police describe staffing shortfalls, cite traffic enforcement changes
Summary
Chief Paul Melanson told the council the department has hired seven officers but remains below full strength and that a dedicated traffic officer produced a spike in traffic stops; he noted the department has 36 sworn positions and two School Resource Officers.
Chief Paul Melanson briefed the council on operational trends and staffing. He said the spike in traffic stops in 2023 "was a result of the dedicated traffic officer" and that medical calls have increased with more local medical facilities; he also confirmed the department has two School Resource Officers and "there are a total of 36 sworn officer positions." Chief Melanson told council that training a new hire takes about one year and that the department had hired seven officers out of 21 authorized positions.
Council members questioned use of overtime, the new shift schedule and whether an officer could be moved into a community officer role. Mrs. Barthel asked about sliding someone into a community officer position and Chief Melanson said that is possible. The chief also noted an item in the proposed budget to cover additional hours required for bodycam footage redaction and hoped for reimbursement under a new bill.
