Could proposed cuts affect public safety?

Could proposed cuts affect public safety?

Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

TEMPLETON — With the town’s looming financial crisis, budget cuts could leave Templeton’s Police Department understaffed and undertrained.

The Board of Selectmen previously requested that all department heads submit detailed explanations on how a proposed five percent reduction in remaining budgets would affect their offices.

Police Chief David Whitaker wrote in his impact statement that a five percent cut in the department’s budget would come from not filling an open patrol position – a move that would leave only one officer on duty for the weekend day and early morning shifts. Chief Whitaker stated that the police union consented to the schedule change, however there were still morale and safety concerns.

“No one wants to work by themselves,” the Chief said. “It’s an officer safety issue.”

Police officers, especially patrolmen, rely heavily on communication and teamwork. While Templeton is a relatively quiet town with few arrests, should a major incident occur during one of those shifts the officer would be alone until mutual aid from a surrounding town arrives on scene.

“Working alone is just not safe,” Chief Whitaker reiterated.


The Chief said the patrolman position has remained open since the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously for a hiring and discretionary spending freeze in early December. An officer was hired, but resigned shortly after the discovery of the $505,000 budget shortfall.

“The young officer left because he felt he would be laid off,” the Chief explained.

The department’s emergency dispatch budget was also included in Chief Whitaker’s statement and he reported the five percent cut would come out of the dispatch’s training budget. Dispatch personnel are required to undergo 16 hours of training annually and additional training would need to be funded through a grant, as opposed to the budget.

Several other town departments have already released budget impact statements in preparation for Thursday’s Town Hall forum. Many of the cuts will be taken out of salary accounts, resulting in a reduction of hours and loss of service. Unfilled positions will remain empty, leaving many departments, like the Board of Assessors and Cemetery and Parks Commission, short for the remainder of this year, and possibly next.

The slash could have a more dramatic affect on the Boynton Public Library and Fire Department. 

According to Library Director Jackie Prime, students would no longer be able to visit during the school year due to staff reductions and the library could lose its state certification.

Fire Chief Raymond LaPorte warned the board in his two-page letter that a cut in the department’s budget would prevent them from getting their life saving equipment certified and keep them from performing anything more than basic maintenance. Chief LaPorte submitted an article to the special town meeting warrant regarding the purchase of a new ambulance to help offset the impact of several years worth of reductions in the department’s budget, but the venture could be in jeopardy should voters approve the budget cut article.

A Town Hall forum will be held Thursday at 5:00 p.m. in the Kiva, where department heads will present their budgets and impact statements, and answer questions from the public. The special town meeting will take place on March 29 at 10:00 a.m., also in the Kiva.