BRADFORD, Vt. — In a 113 to 72 vote, those gathered at Town Meeting on Saturday rejected a proposal to double the town’s police force.
The proposal sought to add two additional officers to the Bradford Police force, which would have made it a department of four. It was one of the more highly debated articles at Town Meeting, which took place in the Bradford Academy auditorium and lasted about five hours.
“I hear from townspeople that want more night coverage,” said Bradford Police Chief Russell Robinson, explaining the proposal to the voters who filled the auditorium on Saturday morning. “That’s difficult with two guys.”
During floor discussion of the article, voters voiced a range of logistical concerns.
The estimated cost to double the force of $250,000 for salary, medical insurance, equipment and potentially a third police cruiser would have doubled the sum allocated for the police department in the town’s budget.
Deneé Woods questioned “the strategy” behind the proposed $250,000.
“That’s the tough part,” Robinson said, not knowing whether the candidates for the two positions would be seasoned officers with families and higher insurance costs or green police academy graduates.
He went on to say that the proposed cost is on the “high end,” but “it’s not just two cops, two hourly rates.”
“There’s firearms, there’s training … there’s so many variables, I can’t give you an exact (plan) until I have the pieces in place,” he said. “If the voters decide to put people on, my challenge is to find the two guys that want to come to work.”
Currently, Robinson and Sgt. David Shaffer, the only other member of the department, cover a combined 80 hours of service a week, with state police providing coverage the rest of the time. Shaffer joined Bradford police in 2021.
“Sgt. Shaffer has been going out working one, two o’clock in the morning and he’s by himself,” said Robinson, who has worked in law enforcement for just over 40 years and became chief in 2019. “I don’t feel good about that.”
In 2025, Bradford Police and Vermont State Police responded to over 1,500 calls for service in Bradford, including drug investigations, suspicious circumstances, domestic situations, assaults, unlawful mischief, mental health, property checks, alarms, DUIs and court ordered documents to be served.
“Our felony crimes are definitely on the rise,” said Robinson.
In 2016, the Bradford outpost of Vermont State Police at 1549 Waits River Road scaled back full-time operations to part-time, with leadership merging into the St. Johnsbury barracks about 30 miles away.
“We still back (state police) up and they still back us up,” he said. “The problem is there’s a time span … if they’re up in Sheffield (Vt.) and I’m down on South Road, it could be an hour or more.”
At the meeting, resident Emily Cummings asked Robinson whether the proposed expenditure might be better allocated to mental health professionals instead of increased police.
“It seems like the police are kind of a Band-Aid for the problem,” Cummings said, referencing an earlier concern about repeat offenders brought up by fellow Bradford resident Ella Harper-Scheihl.
“Obviously you’re doing a lot of great work and that’s wonderful, but you’re not trained as a mental health professional,” Harper-Scheihl said to Robinson.
“I agree 100%,” Robinson said, adding that he would “love to see a mental health worker” join the local police force.
He said that the Randolph-based Clara Martin Center, which has locations throughout the Upper Valley, provides assistance but he can’t always control when.
“I would love to be able to put on mental health workers that would be available to us 24/7,” he said. “But we don’t live in a perfect world. Everything comes down to money and priorities.”
After about 30 minutes of discussion on the article to expand the Bradford Police force, with some residents commending Robinson for his service to the town and others criticizing the quality of service, the issue came to a paper ballot vote resulting in the 113 to 72 rejection of the measure.
“It was up to the voters and they decided no,” Robinson said in an interview after the results were in. “So we’ll just be doing what we can and provide the best service that we can.”
“The message that I’ve been trying to get out is that this isn’t about Russ Robinson,” he said. “This vote is about what’s best for the town.”
All other articles before voters at the Bradford Town Meeting on Saturday passed, including: the proposed annual general and highway budgets of $1.69 million and $1.4 million, respectively, with $2.92 million to be raised in taxes.
Voters authorized the Selectboard to appoint a town treasurer, as well as the utilization of the Bradford Food Shelf’s space at 172 Main St. free of fees, utilities and other charges.
They also approved appropriations including $8,000 to support the Hub-Teen and Community Center of Bradford; $10,000 for the Orange East Senior Center; $4,413 for the Clara Martin Center; and $9,700 for Tri-Valley Transit.
Polls will be open for Australian ballot voting for officers on Tuesday, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bradford Academy Building.