Police Department looks to hire additional officers
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Northborough - The Northborough Police Department is going to have at least two, and possibly five new officers in the near future.

Police Chief Mark Leahy appeared before the Board of Selectmen at its Sept. 24 meeting to outline the department's hiring process, commenting during his presentation that he expects the process to be heavily used in the coming months.

"I expect to be back before this board in the near future," Leahy said. "We currently have two vacancies on the force and we hope to be adding three new officers to the department as a result of the Loop retail and AvalonBay housing developments."

Part of the mitigation package negotiated by the town during the approval of the Loop and AvalonBay projects was the addition of three police officers to the force as a result of the public safety responsibilities that will be added when these projects are completed.

Leahy outlined the hiring process of the five officers for the board. That process may or may not include training time at a state-run police academy, the chief said, for any or all, depending on a desired candidate's qualifications.

Leahy said he hopes to hire two officers as soon as possible to fill the vacancies created when former officers left to take positions with other departments.

Leahy told the board he hoped the three officers being added as a result of the new developments would be hired, trained and on full-time active duty when the projects open for business.

"The day the Loop opens we can't just go out and hire three new officers and stick them up there," Leahy said. "We have to plan it out and have them ready when the project is ready."

Kevin Giblin, developer of both projects, has stated at previous Board of Selectmen meetings that he's hoping to open a portion of the Loop in the spring of 2008 and the rest of it the following fall.

Selectman Dawn Rand asked Leahy how he planned - fi- nancially - to hire, train and add three officers to his staff without money in the budget to do so.

"I plan on being back before this board in the future with a solution to that very question," Leahy said. "All the details haven't been worked out, but after having discussed the matter with other town officials, I'm confident we are close to a solution that everyone will be in agreement with."

Town Administrator Barry Brenner followed Leahy's comments at the Sept. 24 meeting by saying that when the mitigation money was negotiated, stipulations were put in place that certain amounts of the money would be paid when a certain percentage of the project was completed. It's likely that using money out of the first mitigation installment to fund the additional police officers is one possible solution.

Another possible scenario, since the money has been previously negotiated, is that funds could be transferred from another town account - possibly free cash - to cover the costs and the returned to free cash when the mitigation money arrives.

Leahy said the Police Department hosted a written exam Sept. 22, which 197 individuals inquired about. He said 174 candidates took the test.

Candidates whose test scores were within the top 40 were then required to complete a physical exam test Oct. 6 at Algonquin Regional High School. Leahy said the interview and background investigation processes of the top candidates after the fitness test will begin in the near future.