DIXFIELD – The town’s selectmen and its police chief clashed Monday night over the chief’s request to increase the pay of part-time officers.
At the Board of Selectmen meeting, the board members angered Chief Richard A. Pickett when they failed to second a motion to increase pay for reserve officers.
“It’s my job to provide public safety, and I’m getting no support from you!” Pickett said.
After discussing his inability to get and keep reserves at $10.50 an hour, Dixfield’s rate for the past two years, Pickett asked selectmen to raise the hourly rate to $13.50, the base salary for patrolmen. The department recently lost one of its trained reserve officers to Rumford.
Town Manager John Madigan said the board should authorize the chief to pay reserve officers a comparative base wage for the area.
“We have four (full-time) people that generally cover the time,” he said.
“Money-wise, it would not be that much of an overall budget. We could work out what would be a reasonable wage,” Madigan added.
Selectman Brenda Turbide made a motion to allow Madigan and Pickett to discuss a new rate, and to authorize the chief to pay more than the current $10.50 an hour.
Without discussion or a second, it failed.
Pickett erupted.
“No one’s trying to break the bank! Are dollars and cents more important than public safety?” he asked, demanding a response from each of the five selectman.
Selectman Raymond “Tiny” Carlton was the only one to answer, saying that the board and town gave the chief a fourth full-time officer, and asking if that wasn’t that enough.
After being admonished by Pickett, Carlton said, “I think the ones we got ought to go to work.”
Pickett then accused Carlton of passing judgment from seeing officers on breaks, and of being vindictive toward police.
“It’s disheartening when I’m trying to run a public safety department, and they’re getting absolutely nothing! So, do you support the PD or do you want to dump them? I know that’s what you want to do, Tiny, dump them,” Pickett angrily said.
Speaking in a sarcastic tone, he added, “Thank you for your support,” and walked out.
Selectmen moved on to other matters without pause.
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