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Politics & Government

Board OKs Two New Patrolmen for Bedford Police

Additional officers will bring cash-strapped department up to its budgeted strength of 40 but still a long way from the 46 seen as necessary

Financially squeezed like most town departments, Bedford’s undermanned police force got informal approval Wednesday to expand its roster by two new patrolmen.

The new hires—one now and one after a June retirement—will bring the total force to 40, its currently budgeted strength but still six below the number considered optimal for Bedford’s 24/7 policing requirements.

In addition to beefing up the force’s manpower, the new hires are expected to help in an ongoing effort to control overtime costs. Still, Chief William Hayes acknowledged, “[Adding] two officers is just chipping away” at the department’s personnel needs.

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Working with a  short staff, Hayes said, has not only reduced his department’s effectiveness but also directly impacted overtime costs. “As soon as we drop below where we should be, which is 46, we begin running into an overtime situation,” he said.

Hayes made his remarks at a special meeting of the town board before its regular meeting Wednesday. The work session was convened to discuss police staffing, which is expected to fall to 38 officers by June, or more than 17 percent below the authorized strength of 46.

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In a 19-page presentation to the board, Hayes pointed out that last year, as staffing fell from 41 to 38 officers, overtime costs climbed to $491,638, an increase of more than a third over 2009’s outlay of $399,473. By contrast, this year’s budget allows only $275,000 for police overtime, a figure the chief brushed aside, saying, “That number hasn’t been realistic since 2004.”

Overtime cost is more than a matter of hours worked by policemen, Hayes’ presentation emphasized. Under their collective bargaining agreement with the town, policemen have the option of being paid for the extra hours they work or taking compensatory time off. As a result, Hayes said, while the police brass can control the number of overtime hours through careful management, they cannot control the costs.

Nevertheless, Hayes said, the department’s overtime expense last year—10.4 percent of total payroll—fell close to the 10 percent generally regarded as an acceptable management standard.   

Supervisor Lee V.A. Roberts, noting that 40 positions had already been approved for the police department in the 2011 budget, said the board did not need to vote formally to fill the posts. Still, the board members at Wednesday’s meeting—Deputy Supervisor Peter Chrysoss was absent—agreed on the need for additional manpower.

Hayes said he would begin immediately to fill the first vacancy.

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