The Pelham Police Department currently employs 19 police
officers. The 20 officer’s assignments are as follows:
| 1 |
Chief |
| 1 |
Captain |
| 5 |
Sergeants (3 Patrol, 1 Prosecutor, 1
Detective) |
| 8 |
Patrol Officers |
| 1 |
K-9 Officer |
| 1 |
School Resource Officer |
| 1 |
Traffic Enforcement Officer |
| 1 |
Detective |
When at current full staffing levels, the regular
patrol shifts are as follows; 2 Officers on the Midnight
to 8 AM shift, 3 Officers on the 8 AM to 4 PM shift, and
3 Officers on the 4 PM to Midnight shift. These patrol
officers are the primary responders for all emergency
and non-emergency calls for service received by the
Pelham Police Department.
As indicated, currently the Midnight to 8 AM shift is
assigned only two officers. Unfortunately, as the Town
of Pelham has grown, all of our patrol shifts have
increased in their calls for service. Many times the
calls for service on the Midnight shift quickly exhaust
the two available officers leaving the department to
depend on mutual aid from surrounding towns and/or leave
town not sufficiently covered by patrol officers. The
midnight shift is very busy during the first half of the
shift with business checks, impaired driver enforcement,
and regular calls for service such as domestic
disturbances and disorderly parties. Many of these calls
require both officers to respond, again leaving other
parts of the town vulnerable. Additionally, due to the
time of night many of the involved individuals are under
the influence of alcohol and/or other chemical
substances and thereby make the calls difficult and time
consuming to handle for officers to handle effectively.
During the later part of the shift, 5 AM to 8 AM, the
midnight shift again becomes very busy trying to conduct
traffic enforcement and accident response, especially in
foul weather, during the increasingly busy commuter and
school hours. As the population in Pelham and
surrounding communities has grown, (Hillsborough and
Rockingham Counties are the fastest growing counties in
the state, expected growth in next 20 years is over
20%), the Pelham Police Department has seen huge
increases in commuter traffic volume using Pelham roads
to access employment destinations in Massachusetts,
Nashua, Salem and Manchester particularly during the
early morning hours. This increase in volume has made it
very difficult for the police department to maintain
effective traffic enforcement during the early commute
while handling other calls for service.
If an additional officer was approved by the town
vote, the Pelham Police Department would be able to
deploy a third officer on the midnight to 8 AM shift,
allowing for more effective coverage on an increasingly
busy Midnight to 8 AM shift.
In terms of overall staffing the Pelham Police
Department lags far behind the recommended police
staffing levels proposed by leading authorities in
Criminal Justice. The Nashua Regional Planning Board
recommends 2.0 officers per 1000 person population, the
International Association of Chiefs of Police recommends
2.0 officers per 1000 person population, and the United
States Department of Justice recommends 1.8 officers per
1000 population.
The estimated Town of Pelham population is
approximately 13,000 people. The current police force
provides for 19 officers or a ratio of approximately 1.5
officers per 1000.
(see chart)
 By
the above standards the average recommended staffing
level would be 1.9 officers per 1000 person population,
for a recommended staffing level of 25 officers for a
town the size of Pelham, again, the current staffing
level at the police department is 19 officers.
The authorization to hire one officer per this
warrant article would not bring us to recommended
staffing levels, however the Pelham Police Department
feels it would be a tremendous advancement in leveling
out our patrol staffing issues.
In terms of how busy the Pelham Police Department is
in comparison to other towns; the Windham Police
Department also currently employs 19 officers, and has a
similar population as Pelham, approximately 12,000. The
Windham Police Department made approximately 225 arrests
during 2005. The Pelham Police Department made
approximately 595 arrests during 2005. This is a
difference of 370 arrests a year.
According to the Manchester Union Leader (12/13/05)
it is expected that over the next 20 years the
population of Pelham will increase by 8000 people,
additionally the Rte 93 widening project is expected to
add about 36,000 more residents to New Hampshire. In
light of these statistics, the Pelham Police Department
asks that you support this warrant article, requesting
the hiring of one additional officer, in order to help
our department respond proactively to the rapidly
growing public safety needs of the citizens of the Town
of Pelham. |