By Jason Howe, Foster’s Daily Democrat (Rochester, New Hampsire)
ROCHESTER, N.H. — The city´s Police Department lost two officers this week in what police say is another wave of departures due to frustration with city officials and contentious contract negotiations.
Union president John Harding announced the resignation of Officers Bill Burke and Chris Kelby, who handed in letters of resignation Monday and start work with the state Department of Motor Vehicles today.
Burke and Kelby reluctantly handed in their letters of resignation, Harding said, and added that the department will likely lose more highly trained officers if the union remains without a contract and fences between the city and department aren´t mended.
“I know for a fact that Bill and Chris didn´t want to leave, but people have to pay their bills and if that means leaving, then so be it, but the council doesn´t seem to care,” Harding said Wednesday afternoon.
Both men have been with the department for five years and are trained as snipers with the city´s tactical squad, Harding said.
“Bill is a resident of Rochester, he loves this place, but our guys can´t deal with the constant barrage of people hammering down on the department. These are guys that the city has spent thousands of dollars on training, but that won´t stay because of the situation,” Harding said.
Police Sgt. Stephen Burke warned of an imminent “exodus” of officers three weeks ago, listing a tally of at least eight other officers who are “actively seeking” employment elsewhere.
“These guys are sick of the high workload with poor pay,” Burke said in an earlier interview.
Burke and Harding argue that the City Council is being fiscally irresponsible by letting trained veterans leave the force because of the investment required for training.
Keith Lohmann, director of New Hampshire Police Standards and Training, estimated the average cost of educating a basic officer at just over $50,000, with advanced training for experienced officers totaling up to $200,000.
“Atop the cost of training, you just can´t put someone on the street, even if they were an officer somewhere else. They have to spend months learning the city,” Harding said.
However, Mayor David Walker, also the chairman of the Finance Committee, has adamantly maintained that the council is looking out for what´s best for the city and is taxpayers.
He has also argued that an exodus of police officers is exaggerated, citing a report from earlier this year in which police Chief David Dubois said the department has a low turnover rate.
“It´s their point of view that we´re being irresponsible; we feel we´re being responsible,” Walker said of the council´s hard line on the police contract.
Police union members and commissioners, who ratified a tentative contract Wednesday, will present the council with the contract in either December or January.