By KENNEDY GRIFFIN
(Greenfield, MA) March 1st marks the beginning of the new schedule for the Greenfield Police Department. Officers will be on duty from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. from now through June 30th, with the hope that their budget for the next fiscal year and their hiring process will enable the department to return to 24/7 coverage.
The COPS hiring program grant has recently enabled the department to begin the process of filling some of the open positions left by the departure of several officers. This $375 multi-year grant will partially support the hiring of three officers, however it may take more than three new officers to be able to return to the department’s previous coverage schedule.
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At the Special Greenfield City Council meeting on Wednesday, the Mayor presented a new plan for the Police Department’s coverage in response to Chief Haigh’s announcement that the third shift, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. would be ending February 1st at last week’s City Council meeting.
The new plan has coverage on all three shifts until March 1st when a new schedule will begin with officers working two ten-hour shifts, and no patrol from 3 am to 7 am. During 3 am to 7 am Chief Haigh said he will call in officers if there is an emergency, otherwise State Police will be handling calls. Greenfield Police will receive $300 per week for the inconvenience of the longer shifts. This plan will be in place until June 30th.
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Greenfield Police Chief Robert Haigh announced at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, on January 18th, that in thirteen days on February 1st, the night shift (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) will be eliminated due to lack of staffing, sparking a lengthy, heated debate.
According to Chief Haigh, his decision comes as a result of six officers leaving the department since July 1st, the number needed for the shift and the department lacking funds to hire more officers as a result of budget cuts. They will still be answering calls, but they will be redirected to the State Police during the night shift. Chief Haigh also said they will still be operating as a safe haven for surrounding babies or domestic violence victims.
Councilors raised concerns and expressed frustration that the announcement comes less than two weeks before the expected change on February 1st.
Mayor Wedegartner said, “I know that [Chief Haigh] was faced with very hard decisions about what to do going forward, so it’s not an optimal thing that we wanted to do. Nobody’s doing this because they wanted to do it. It is what makes sense regardless of how difficult it is to face. It’s not something that we would hope would go on very long. Director Schindler and I are looking at ways to potentially cover that shift, but we have to come up with the appropriate financial ways to bring it back to [Council].”
Chief Haigh said they did not have much advance notice of some of the recent retirements in the department and could not take proactive measures to fill their positions, such as hiring part time officers to train and ready for full time positions as they became available, due to the budget constraints.
An emergency City Council meeting will be called to address the staffing concerns.
Chief Haigh and Lieutenant Todd Dodge also announced a $375,000 multiyear grant that could support three new hires in the department. According to the City’s finance director, Diana Schindler, it is a reimbursement grant and up to 75% could be reimbursed to the department in the first year, 50% the second year, and 25% the third year. In the fourth year the City would be entirely responsible for funding the positions, or risk needing to repay the grant funds received.