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Police chief asks for two hires and a sally port; committee funds one hire
Summary
Police Chief Dale VanNamee cited rising traffic and crime and requested two new officers and a state-mandated sally port; the committee approved funding for one officer this year and deferred capital until budget allows.
Police Chief Dale VanNamee told the township committee that he had kept routine maintenance current, including twice-yearly HVAC service, and described training and professional-service costs.
"Part of the cost is for qualifying on the gun range in Woodbury. He said he pays a membership of $5,000 a year," VanNamee said, characterizing the membership as voluntary but relied on by some officers for qualifications.
The chief asked for two new officers, citing "increased traffic, increased warehouses and increased crime" as reasons for the additional staffing. Committee members said budget constraints require funding only one hire this year; the Committee noted the previous plan was to add two officers per year until staffing reached eight, but that plan was scaled back because of the Appropriation CAP.
VanNamee also pressed for a sally port at the police facility, saying the enclosure is a state-required structure that has been deferred for years. The Committee asked staff to provide cost estimates and timing while maintaining the directive to meet the appropriation cap.
