WILTON – In his first budget proposal, Wayne Gallant, the town’s new police chief, has increased the amount for training by $500, to a total of $2,000.
Training was one of the areas criticized in the January study of the department conducted by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association. The report said the department needed better records of training, an internal tracking system for state-mandated training and a policy to explain how officers request training and how they’re selected for it.
Gallant, who took the reins of the department in February, said he believes a $2,000 allocation will be adequate. He noted that inexpensive and free training opportunities are available.
For example, Gallant, a certified law enforcement instructor, has started providing in-house training.
Recently, a three-hour session on domestic assault was held, costing the department no more than the officers’ wages. Gallant taught one hour, Assistant District Attorneys Andrew Robinson and James Andrews taught an hour, and a representative from the Abused Women’s Advocacy Program also participated, he said.
Gallant said his budget proposal also has an increase of about $7,200 for payroll. Some of that money will support training, he said Thursday, both to pay for training and to pay officers who are filling in while others are being trained.
After his cuts and increases, his proposed budget of $339,916 for 2005-2006 has an overall increase of about $5,600 from the current budget.
Former Chief James Parker has said training budgets were kept bare-bones and didn’t provide for overtime, expenses and alternate coverage costs while officers attended training. The department’s training budget remained stable at $1,500 for the last two years, although only $545 of the 2003-2004 budget was used, according to the most recent budget report.
Gallant also said that since the department belongs to the New England State Police Information Network, he’ll utilize its intelligence databases, software and online training courses. Cost for membership in the network is $50 annually.
Currently, the only Internet access in the Police Department is in the patrol office, and it is a slow dial-up service, Gallant said. His office does not have an Internet line yet but it is something he will soon have. He said that once new grant-funded computers are installed, and are fully operable and on the Internet, instructors from that information network will come to Wilton to train his officers in the use of the the network’s extensive intelligence and training Web site. Each officer will also get a personal, secure and encrypted e-mail account through the network, he said.
Gallant admitted his budget request was “extremely conservative,” saying, “We could have used more dollars, but everybody can use more dollars.”
Shannon Smith, chairman of the Finance Committee, said Thursday that the Police Department’s budget was “very good.”
“It’s a little higher than I would have liked it, but we need it to upgrade our department,” she said. “If we want an upgraded department, we’re going to have to pay the price,” she added.
The Finance Committee will be meeting with selectmen 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the budget, and Smith encouraged voters to attend to learn more about the budget before voting on it at the annual town meeting in June.
Go and Do:
What: Joint meeting of Wilton Finance Committee and selectmen
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Wilton town office
The Police Department’s new head, Wayne Gallant, says some teaching can be done inexpensively and is already under way.
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