Claremont
What he didn’t envision was spending several hours a week covering entry-level patrol shifts. But that is exactly the boat — or cruiser — he’s in.
The Claremont Police Department is down about 10 officers — more than a third of its force — because of a mix of factors, including a shrinking number of applicants for open positions, something that is plaguing law enforcement agencies nationwide.
“The shortage has resulted in a difficult year,” Chase recently said.
Chase budgets for 25 full-time officers, but he currently has two vacancies, a total of four people either in the training academy or slated for upcoming sessions, one person who needs to attend classes before he or she can hit the road and three people on medical leave.
That leaves him with 15 full-time officers, plus a couple of part-timers.
“This shortage is unique,” Chase said. “It’s the eclipse for my police department right now.”
Chase is hardly alone in his fight to bring his roster up to full staff.
Chiefs in Lebanon, Hanover and Hartford also are having trouble filling vacant positions or retaining the officers they sent through the academy — at a significant expense to taxpayers.
“I struggle up here and I struggled down south,” said Lebanon Police Chief Richard Mello, who started in the city in December 2015 after a long stint at the Hollis (N.H.) Police Department. “It is not a geographical issue.”
The impacts on their departments, the chiefs say, include fewer bodies to cover shifts, an increase in officers working overtime and a loss of maturity and experience.
Despite the fact that some are stretched thin, all of the chiefs contend their departments are keeping up with the day-to-day operations and are providing their cities and towns with the level of service they need and deserve.
“We are still doing what the city needs us to do,” Chase said. “It is tough right now, but we will continue to do our jobs.”
An ‘Assault’ on the Profession
Many of the chiefs in the Upper Valley started their careers in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, and when they did, they faced fierce competition to get into the profession. There often were hundreds of candidates applying for just one position.
But those numbers have been in steady decline and are a contributing factor to Upper Valley departments’ vacancies. None of the chiefs could pinpoint just when it began.
“We always used to refer to it as a hiring pool,” said Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis, who has worked for departments outside of New England. “I call it a hiring puddle now. It is just much smaller.”
The reason why is unclear, the chiefs said, but they have some theories.
Perhaps the most commonly cited factor is the “outright assault on our profession,” as Mello put it.
Over the last several years, he said, law enforcement has come under attack for incidents involving questionable use-of-force decisions. Regardless of the outcome of investigations into those accusations, “police departments are painted with the same broad negative brush,” Mello said.
“Despite that it is such a small percentage of what we do … there is a very negative atmosphere associated with us,” Mello said. “And it’s not an accurate depiction … and I think it does affect people’s desire to want to do this job.”
Sunapee Police Chief David Cahill, who is the chairman of the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council — the division that certifies every officer in the Granite State — shared Mello’s assessment.
“There isn’t a whole lot of good press out there,” Cahill said. “I think that is a tragedy, and I think that overshadows all of the good stuff everybody does each and every day.”
Cahill also cited the dangerousness of the job. “We are being murdered at an alarming rate,” he said.
According to preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 65 federal, state and local law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the first six months of 2017; 35 of this year’s deaths were deemed “felonious,” while 30 were called accidental, according to the fund. (The shootings on Friday in Florida and Pennsylvania that left two officers dead and four others injured are not included in the fund’s data.)
This year’s numbers are up 30 percent over the same period last year, when 50 officers were reported killed. For all of 2016, 143 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty. A total of 1,512 officers have died in the line of duty over the past 10 years, according to the fund.
Another factor that could be contributing to the decrease in applicants is the improved economy and corresponding drop in the unemployment rate.
Law enforcement officers often work long and less-than-desirable shifts, including weekends and holidays, Hartford Police Chief Phil Kasten said. Because other jobs offer comparable pay, people today may be less attracted to public service positions with demanding schedules.
Even off duty, officers are held to a high standard and must maintain their reputations, Kasten added. The profession comes with “sacrifice to themselves and their families and friends … for what is often under-appreciated,” Kasten said. “I think it has lost some of its luster in years past.”
Enfield Police Chief Richard Crate also cited competition from the private sector and police retirement benefits that aren’t as appealing as they once were, he said. Perhaps people reaching adulthood aren’t looking that far ahead either, he added.
“People are living for today rather than waiting for retirement, and I think that is part of it,” Crate said.
Officer Retention
Hartford currently has five full-time positions vacant; Hanover has three and Lebanon has two.
The Vermont State Police reports it has 12 vacancies out of 322 funded positions. Messages left for New Hampshire State Police officials weren’t returned.
Crate’s department is at full staff in Enfield, but that didn’t happen overnight.
Filling all seven of his full-time spots — and keeping them filled — has required changes over the last couple of years.
One of his officers retired about two years ago, and then two more left to join neighboring forces.
The other departments’ salary ranges “went up quite a bit,” so Enfield’s compensation suddenly was less competitive, Crate said.
“I knew we had to correct that problem,” Crate said. He urged the Selectboard to increase the pay scale for officers by a sizeable amount, and it did. For an entry-level patrol position in Enfield, the town now pays roughly $52,000, which is about what officers in Lebanon, Hanover and Hartford earn.
Chiefs at other Upper Valley departments also have been paying close attention to the pay scale to make sure they can retain the officers they spent thousands of dollars on putting through the academy.
Kasten and union representatives made some changes during recent contract negotiations in Hartford. As a result, the department now offers raises and promotions at one and three years, among other incentives, such as an annual education bonus for earning associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
“When I took a position here, staff expressed frustration that Hartford had become a training ground for other law enforcement agencies,” Kasten said. “What we sought to do was to stop that.”
Prior to the negotiated changes, if an officer wanted to make more money, he or she had to move up a position. That meant officers who wanted the money — but not necessarily the responsibilities that a supervisory role entails — would take those positions.
“This is another way to make sure the town gets the best police officers it can,” Kasten said.
In Claremont, Sunapee and Windsor, the pay scale is quite a bit lower than in Lebanon, Hanover, Enfield and Hartford, with the departments paying entry-level patrol officers roughly $43,000. The Vermont State Police pay scale sits in between, at about $48,500.
While some chiefs say that compensation has hurt them in their ability to hire and retain officers, others say it hasn’t.
Windsor Police Chief Bill Sampson said Windsor officers are making more now than when he arrived. His department has been allotted 10 full-time and five part-time officers and currently has seven full-time and four part-time positions filled. He views that as a glass more than half full.
When he took over in August 2014, Sampson said, the department was adequately staffed, but was regarded as the place officers “went to when they were fired from other agencies.”
He has worked to “rebrand” the department, as well as increase officers’ pay.
“We signed an excellent contract and I think the morale is high,” Sampson said.
High Standards
Regardless of any vacancies, all of the chiefs interviewed were adamant that they aren’t lowering their standards just to get their department’s staff numbers up.
“I would rather run short and be selective than to fill gaps,” Sampson said. “That would be a quick fix that could become a long-term problem.”
Hanover’s Dennis concurred.
“You’re just asking for problems and issues,” he said.
Plus, even if departments wanted to relax their standards, those recruits may not make it through the police academy.
Every officer in New Hampshire or Vermont must attend a 16-week residential training academy in his or her respective state in order to become a certified officer. The paramilitary-style program doesn’t have its own cost, but chiefs have to pay attendees’ salaries, plus benefits.
The recruits must pass physical fitness tests and maintain certain curriculum percentages, among other requirements.
In response to the shrinking pool of candidates, some police training councils, including New Hampshire’s, have altered several of their policies or standards. Sunapee’s Cahill, the chairman of the New Hampshire council, was quick to insist the council had “adjusted” its standards, not “lowered” them.
Within the past 12 months, for example, a policy that prohibited recruits from being associated with any type of drug dealing has been replaced by a policy that judges each person on a case-by-case basis, Cahill said.
“(Now) it’s not a lifetime bar, but things can be considered,” Cahill said. He provided the example of someone lawfully receiving opiates for an abscessed tooth who then gave one of those pills to a friend needing pain relief.
Police candidates generally enter training academies after being evaluated by local departments. That process includes a series of tests, a background check, a psychological exam and interviews. Many agencies also require a polygraph, or lie detector, test.
“We are very picky with who we bring on in our department,” said Crate, the Enfield chief. “I really take to heart the job we have.”
Recruiting Efforts
Upper Valley police departments are trying a variety of tactics to increase their applicant pools and retain the officers they already have.
Several departments, including Lebanon and Hanover, offer a $5,000 no-questions-asked bonus for certified officers — officers who already have gone through the academy. Claremont offers up to $10,000.
That may strike taxpayers as extravagant, but some chiefs say it’s a no-brainer.
It actually saves money, said Mello, the Lebanon chief.
The cost to hire, certify and get a new officer on board varies among agencies. Enfield’s Crate estimated that cost to be upward of $30,000, while Mello put the figure closer to $100,000.
Regardless, it is money a town or city doesn’t need to spend if the officer is already certified. If an officer is certified in another state, some money has to be spent to familiarize the officer with his or her current state’s laws.
The Hanover Police Department also has attempted to increase its candidate pool by advertising with policeapp.com, a website that facilitates the hiring process by providing tools to publicize available jobs and match candidates with agencies.
Dennis, who started posting jobs on that site about a year ago, said he has found it helpful.
Beginning this year, the Vermont State Police has dedicated a team to recruiting, which allows for a more personalized approach, said Capt. James Whitcomb.
So far, it’s paying off.
The Vermont State Police hired and sent 14 recruits to the academy program that started on July 31 and brought in two additional certified officers for a total of 16. It was pulling in far fewer candidates before putting a recruiting unit in place, Whitcomb said.
“It is our same hiring practice system, but we are reaching out to more people,” he said.
Some Still Want In
Despite the hiring difficulties, the chiefs say there always will be people who want to get into the field.
Take Tyler Reidy.
The 24-year-old Canaan resident didn’t think twice before applying to the Hanover Police Department last year. A former Grafton County Sheriff’s Department dispatcher, Reidy said he has always wanted to be in a profession where he can help others and fight crime. After watching his grandfather and others climb through the ranks, he knew he wanted to become a cop.
He called police work the next “logical progression” for him. At 13 he participated in a police Explorer program, which introduces young adults to law enforcement careers, and now is an EMT and firefighter.
“Pretty much all through my career and childhood I have always been into helping people,” Reidy said.
Reidy reflected on why others his age may not be similarly inclined, and he cited a shift from the ’60s and ’70s when, he said, officers were “respected.”
“Now, unfortunately, with all of the events that are going on and the media’s disproportionate views on some things, I feel that is a hardship for people who are like me that are wanting to get into a career where they can help people,” Reidy said. “I am not saying there aren’t bad eggs … there are in every profession, but it doesn’t help when you are being chastised for small decisions you have to make every single day in the heat of the moment. It puts a lot of pressure on people, and people don’t want that stress.”
He also cited the schedule. There are 9-to-5 jobs that are “less stressful and probably pay more,” he said.
That’s not what it’s about for him, though.
“The greater good outweighs the deficits,” Reidy said.
Looking Forward
Although staffing numbers have been low in Claremont for the past five weeks, Chase, the chief, has a positive outlook on the future.
The department’s workload should begin to shift by the time the snow falls: Two of his recruits graduated from the academy on Friday and soon will start a 12-week field training program. After that, they will be on the road by themselves.
Another hire starts at the academy at the end of the month, and the fourth will attend the January session. That will put an additional four officers on the road by this time next year.
And once the recently hired, already-certified officer completes his or her training classes, there will be another person on the force.
Chase said he envisions next year being a “phenomenal” one.
Until then, he must continue to cover patrol shifts — something he said other chiefs also do at times, and which he doesn’t mind doing.
He also must disappoint his younger officers when they inquire about doing certain community policing events other agencies are doing, such as Lebanon’s new ice cream patrol, an effort to cultivate good relationships with the public.
“I am not able to do those things right now and it pains me,” said Chase, who once was a Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., program officer. “I know the benefit.”
Doing the bare minimum is not what he has in mind for his department.
“I can’t wait for 2018,” Chase said. “We will be better staffed, we will be up to par and we will be able to do those things I want to do. I want to leave my mark here.”
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.