The Shelton Police Department has money for 62 sworn personnel — but the department’s current head count is only 50, Chief Joel Hurliman told aldermen and members of the Board of Apportionment and Taxation at a budget workshop last week.
If next year’s funding request for the department — at $6.66 million — is approved, Hurliman said his first priority is to see staffing levels increase.
Mayor Mark Lauretti’s presented his city budget proposal last month. His proposed police department represents about a 2 percent increase over the current $6.53 million.
The department spends more now on overtime because it’s short so many officers, Hurliman said at the March 6 workshop.
Hurliman told the tax board he wasn’t asking for too much money in light of economic conditions.
“We’re not asking for a tremendous increase in the police department budget in the interest of going easy on the taxpayers,” he said Tuesday night.
The biggest priority, Hurliman said, is staffing.
But, he pointed out, if the department does make new hires, they would have to find seats for them in a police academy after screening, testing, and interviewing the candidates.
Trainees spend 22 weeks at an academy such as the Police Officers Standards and Training Council in Meriden.
Shelton won’t be able to send candidates to the Meriden academy until July, when three seats will be available to the Shelton Police Department.
In addition, the cities of Waterbury and New Britain may have academy classes starting around May and August, Hurliman said Wednesday. Shelton could possibly get three seats in each academy.
Another option, the chief said, is if the department could find candidates from other departments already familiar with the computer system and radio codes of a department like Shelton’s who wouldn’t need to attend the academy.
“To add 12 people is not that hard,” Hurliman said Wednesday.
The budget workshop on March 6 was the second of several such sessions scheduled for this month, at which department heads discuss their budgets for next year (a list of further meetings is below).
The Board of Apportionment and Taxation have tentatively scheduled a vote on the city budget for March 22.
After that, the spending plan goes to the Board of Aldermen, which must adopt a budget by May 15.
Board of Apportionment and Taxation Budget Workshops
Wednesday, March 7
7 p.m.
Auditorium, City Hall
Thursday, March 8
7 p.m.
Room 104, City Hall
Tuesday, March 13
7 p.m.
Room 104, City Hall
Board of Education budget will be reviewed
Wednesday, March 14
6:30 p.m.
Auditorium, City Hall
A & T Budget Workshop
Thursday, March 15
6:30 p.m.
Auditorium, City Hall
A & T Budget Workshop
Wednesday, March 21
6:30 p.m.
Room 104, City Hall
A & T Budget Workshop
Thursday, March 22
6:30 p.m.
Auditorium, City Hall
A & T Budget Workshop, Vote on budget
Thursday, March 29
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium, City Hall
Presentation of Fiscal Year 2012 – 2013 Budget
