OPINION: Draconian Cuts To Proposed Enfield PD Budget 'Short-Sighted'
ENFIELD, CT — I am writing in reference to the proposed Enfield budget and its impact on the Enfield Police Department.I proudly served the town of Enfield as a police officer for over 28 years, retiring at the rank of lieutenant in 2008. I was rather disturbed when I learned of some what I believe to be draconian cuts to the proposed budget. The Enfield Police Department is a nationally accredited police department, and I am proud to have served as a member of the initial accreditation committee and subsequent re-accreditation efforts. As such, I believe that some of the recommendations being made will not serve the department’s, nor the town’s best interests moving forward. My first concern is over the K9 program. Enfield’s K9 program, consisting of four officers and their canine partners, is widely recognized in the state as one of the preeminent municipal K9 programs. It has been recommended by Mayor Nelson that one position be eliminated by “attrition.” With all due respect to the mayor, I believe this is short-sighted and will make little if any difference in the town’s budget situation. One concern expressed by the mayor noted that since recreational marijuana is now legalized in Connecticut, there is no need for narcotics dogs. This could be no further from the truth. In speaking to one of our K9 officers, he informed me that the dogs have not been imprinted on marijuana since it became legal. However, they are imprinted on more serious drugs, such as heroin (opiates), MDMA, crack, cocaine, and methamphetamines. When the department recently underwent its re-accreditation effort, the CALEA assessor specifically mentioned the department’s K9 program and raved about it. Such programs are taken into account when CALEA makes a decision whether or not to grant a department’s application to be re-accredited. Our K9 program puts us at the forefront where it concerns law enforcement accreditation.It is also important to realize that Enfield is the only department north of Hartford with K9 officers, save one in East Windsor. State Police K9 instructors refer to our program as “elite,” noting that “if other departments can do what they [Enfield] do, this state would be unstoppable,” noting that “everything the guys do is so efficient and professional.” One area where Mayor Nelson may have been on to something is when he suggested other towns in the region, which utilize our officers and their canine partners, could chip in to support the program. Enfield’s K9 program is a model program and the number of illicit drugs that have been seized, illegal firearms recovered, and criminals apprehended is mind-blowing. All of this must be taken into account.The K9 officers also bring money into the town via asset forfeiture, which I understand is controversial in some quarters, but nonetheless is a source of revenue to offset any additional expenses by housing K9 officers. I was told that asset forfeiture money paid for the two motorcycles recently purchased, which saved the town in the area of $50,000 (by my estimates). Another area of concern is cutting Chief Fox’s cruiser request from 17 to 5. I was told by an officer in the traffic division that his car is 10 years old. When I was a member of the police department, cruisers were on a three-year rotation. The main reason for this is the wear and tear on these vehicles, the fact that they are often-times responding to life and death incidents where minutes can make a difference, and the increased maintenance required for older vehicles. The town of Enfield conducted a study at that time that determined driving older vehicles offset any “savings” from not purchasing new vehicles. Obviously as someone who worked for the Enfield Police Department for as long as I did, I do have some bias. However, along with that bias comes knowledge. And I know that the proposals put forth to slash the police department’s budget are short-sighted, especially at a time when our country has been subject to a foreign invasion of over 10 million people, some of whom intend this country harm. Now is not the time to be complacent. We have an exceptional, professional police department with outstanding officers. They should be treated as such. Patrick Droney, Lieutenant RetiredEnfield Police DepartmentPatch welcomes opinions on any topic, and reserves the right to edit letters for brevity or clarity. Email letters, including the writer's name, address and phone, to [email protected] article OPINION: Draconian Cuts To Proposed Enfield PD Budget 'Short-Sighted' appeared first on Enfield, CT Patch.
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