By Dan O’Brien
The Manchester Union Leader
EPSOM, N.H. — The town’s police chief says his department is understaffed and had the third-highest call volume last year compared to adjacent towns.
That’s why he’s asking voters to approve $30,900 for a new police officer.
Police Chief Wayne Preve said he is the only officer on duty during the daytime hours. He said having just five officers in the department now is “killing us on overtime.”
Epsom police spent about $25,000 in overtime last year, which is about a $2,500 increase from the year before, Preve said.
But town officials are split on the issue. Epsom’s three-member board of selectmen voted 1-2 against recommending that voters support the article, which asks voters to fund an officer for six months, adding eight cents to the tax rate. The town’s budget committee voted 7-5 to support it.
“The way the economy is right now, I feel he can get by with the officers he’s got,” said Selectman Bob Blodgett, who voted against recommending the article to voters. “We can’t afford to put that money in.”
Preve has put together similar warrant articles in recent years that would have increased the number of officers in his department to seven. He said all of them failed.
The town Police Department is authorized to have six officers. One recently left for another department, which left only five.
Blodgett said that’s one reason why he’s not supporting the warrant article.
“Nine times out of 10, the last ones we’ve had have left after a year or two,” Blodgett said. “It’s a stepping stone and everyone wants more money.” It costs about $30,000 to put a new officer through the police academy.
“If you could maybe get an officer that’s already trained, it may be a different story,” he said.
Preve said he needs an additional officer for detective duties. He recalled the April 2009 triple stabbing that resulted in a large-scale investigation and the conviction of Mitchell Rideout of Allenstown.
“It took a considerable amount of time,” Preve said. “You’re doing the interviews, running to the lab, going to court hearings. I probably did 20 to 25 interviews (of witnesses) with state police. That takes me out of the office. Normally, during the day, I’m the only one here.”
Between January and August last year, Epsom had the third-highest call volume at the Merrimack County Sheriff Dispatch Center among the towns of Epsom, Pembroke, Allenstown, Chichester, Loudon and Pittsfield.
Epsom had 8,650 calls for service while Pembroke, which had the highest number, had 15,130 calls.
Preve said he believes crime has increased in Epsom, but said he did not have statistics to back up his claim other than the number of calls from the dispatch center.
Allenstown Police Chief Shaun Mulholland praises Preve for his ability to patrol the town and oversee the department’s administrative needs.
“I’m covering one midnight shift a week right now and I don’t know how he does it,” Mulholland said. “Patrolling is a full-time job. With the administrative duties that are required, such as updating policies and managing the budget, it’s certainly a challenge.”
Copyright 2011 Union Leader Corp.