Chesterfield PD to cut service hours, bring in outside help for review

Town leaders are looking at outside consultants to help with recruitment and to evaluate the department’s hiring process and command structure.

Chesterfield officials have approved a short-term change in police coverage while the town searches for ways to rebuild staffing and examine how the department is run.

At the Board of Selectmen meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 2, Chief Lance Rouse said the department’s reduced service model is necessary because he is currently the only deployable officer in town. Under the plan, if he is unavailable, dispatch can turn to state police or neighboring municipal departments for help. Nonurgent matters would be delayed until the next available shift, while emergencies would be handled by another agency if possible.

The board also signed off on a memorandum of understanding with the Winchester (N.H.) Police Department that could provide Chesterfield with one day of coverage each week.

Rouse said he wants the arrangement revisited every 90 days so the town can track staffing changes and decide whether the temporary setup should continue.

Along with the coverage changes, town leaders are looking at outside consultants to help with recruitment and to evaluate the department’s hiring process and command structure. The board discussed a possible meeting with a Vermont consultant who has already been in contact with board member Michelle Hilger about staffing ideas and a broader review.

Hilger said the concerns facing Chesterfield do not appear to be isolated and noted that the consultant had heard similar reports from several Vermont communities, including Burlington.

Rouse said an external assessment could be useful for a department dealing with the kind of strain Chesterfield is experiencing, especially when it comes to hiring practices, leadership structure and pay scales.

The town’s emergency coverage plan takes effect immediately.