Tiverton Police Chief Patrick Jones presented some discouraging statistics to the Tiverton Town Council recently, as he described the department's challenges recruiting and retaining qualified employees.

The department is down five police officers and three dispatchers, Jones said. While the situation will improve once two recruits currently enrolled in the Police Academy finish their training, the numbers are still dire, he said.

“We are always in a hole,” Jones told the council. “It is clear this is a nationwide crisis when it comes to the workforce, but what we are seeing now is unprecedented.”

Within the past six to nine months, six dispatchers resigned at various stages of their training. Of three who were most recently hired, Jones said one never showed up, one stayed on the job only a few days, and one lasted just two weeks. Those who leave do so for various reasons, he said: Some said the job is not what they expected; others complained about the physical environment – the dispatch area has no windows, for example. For many, it is simply a matter of insufficient pay and/or benefits.

Jones said he recently learned the starting wage for a new employee at Chick-fil-A is higher than what Tiverton pays an incoming dispatcher.

“If you want to hire professionals, you need to pay professionals,” he told the council.

Lieutenant Bryan Palagi, the department’s head of planning, training and recruitment, highlighted efforts to encourage job seekers to consider Tiverton. With support from a public relations firm, the department has stepped up advertising, enhanced its presence on social media, and recently created a recruitment video.

The newly formed Community Policing Division, Palagi said, has received favorable attention on many levels and may be a potential draw for job applicants.

Despite these efforts, Jones said it is difficult for Tiverton to attract qualified professionals when neighboring towns are offering more in terms of salaries, benefits, and appealing work environments.

Tiverton’s police department is at the bottom of the pay rate scale, Jones said, when compared to towns of similar size.

Tiverton also lacks some of the perks offered by other police departments – such as the one that advertises “state of the art” fitness facilities for employees. In contrast, Jones joked, the best thing Tiverton can say about its workspace is “we are historic.”

Communication upgrades approved

The council unanimously approved the use of American Recovery Act funds, not to exceed $1.3 million, to upgrade the current 20-year-old public safety radio communications system. Of this amount, $1.1 million will cover most of the costs of the new system, with a 20 percent cost overrun factored in, if needed.

The total cost of the new system is $1.45 million which covers equipment, installation and servicing through the next four years. The police department has secured a $339,000 grant to supplement the American Recovery Act funds in covering the cost of the system.

The town will enter into a contract for the upgrade with CyberComm, a state-wide sole source vendor for municipal public safety radio communications and a partner of Motorola, the manufacturer of the equipment.

Grants authorized

The council authorized acceptance of the following:

• A USDA grant for $164,850 to partially fund (35 percent) the purchase of three vehicles for the police department and various pieces of equipment for the department of public works. Total cost is $471,000. The motion to accept the grant passed 5-1, with councilor Donna Cook abstaining.

• The Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership grant for $14,189 to partially fund the purchase of new body armor costing $40,000 for Tiverton’s police officers. A motion to accept the grant passed passed unanimously.