WILTON – A patrol officer makes an arrest and takes the suspect to the detention center in Farmington, approximately 10 miles away. Then, a major crime or accident occurs in Wilton, and help is miles and minutes away.

Such a scenario is part of the reason police Chief Dennis Brown has proposed putting $35,360 in his 2007-2008 budget for a nighttime supervisor position.

Brown said Thursday that the supervisor will provide additional support for training, investigations, shift coverage and officer backup, and take command in his absence.

The department has four officers and a police chief for a town of just under 5,000 people.

Figures from the FBI recommend 2.1 officers for every 1,000 people, he said.

The department is currently without the services of longtime officers Ed Leahy, Terry Warren and Robert Cole Jr., who were suspended indefinitely with pay this month pending an investigation by Brown and other town officials. The reason was not disclosed. The suspensions came after a meeting of Town Manager Peter A. Nielsen, Brown and District Attorney Norm Croteau regarding allegations of poor work by Wilton officers.

Brown said he hopes the new position of supervisor would be filled by an experienced officer who would act as a point of contact for officers and could help patrolmen with investigations. He’d have the time to talk with people near the scene or drive to Farmington to interview a witness without leaving the town unattended, he said.

Crime figures from 2005, which Brown shared with selectmen on Tuesday, show Wilton had the second-highest rate in the area for a town its size: 32.95 incidents per 1,000 people. That compares to Farmington with 35.19 incidents and a population of 7,000 residents, Brown said.

The chief investigates most major crimes, but with administration of the department, calls and other duties throughout the day, he is sensitive to how difficult it is to cover everything without enough staffing. Patrol officers are limited by time and call volume, which affects their ability to investigate a complex crime such as robbery or aggravated assault, he said.

The new officer will also assist officers in high-volume times such as 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., when Brown has noticed that residents have needed to wait for law enforcement response while the officer on duty handles an investigation or an arrest.

Another aspect that Brown said led him to include the new position was the need for training. The department can’t afford the time and money to have officers travel for training, but needs to do it locally, he said.

While the past few months have been difficult and would have been overwhelming if this were his first position as a chief, Brown said, he wants the town to move on and hopes in a year with the new position that the service the department provides for the residents will be worth the extra money needed for the position.

The budget will be voted on in June.