Overrides proposed for full-time Royalston Police Chief

ROYALSTON – Voters will face three Proposition 2 ½ override questions when they go to the polls for a Special Town Election Sept. 4.

One of the overrides, if passed, would provide $173,000 for the hiring of a full-time police chief and one full-time police officer. The $173,000 recommended in the override would cover salaries and benefits for the new officers.

The other overrides are $80,000 for a full-time town administrator and $155,000 to cover the town’s assessment for the regional school district and various other expenses.

A public meeting to discuss the police override will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Second Congregational Church in South Royalston. Another informational meeting will be held sometime before the September vote.

The override for the Police Department received overwhelming support from voters who attended the annual Town Meeting in June.

“The whole purpose of the police committee was really determine what type and level of policing we need for Royalston, given the current restraints imposed upon the town by the state,” said Steve Egan, who chaired a Police Department Study Committee.

In 2020, the Legislature approved a police reform act which, among other things, requires all officers in the state to receive the same level of training that had previously been reserved solely for full-time officers. Royalston’s police has historically operated solely with part-timers.

“Essentially, the part-time model is no longer viable,” said Egan. “We can’t continue to use that model because there’s no pipeline for part-time officers. Everybody goes to a full-time academy. So, we need full-time officers.”

Egan said the department has one officer who has been working most of the hours available during the day, while coverage on evenings, nights and weekends has been dependent on part-time officers, when they’re available, or the state police.

Egan said when the study committee was formed it was made up of people with a wide variety of viewpoints on policing in Royalston.

“Ultimately, the recommendation from the committee was to hire a full-time chief and one full-time officer,” he added. “The full-time chief will patrol, in addition to doing necessary paperwork relevant to the position and oversee the department. The full-time officer would take evenings, and the remaining part-time officers will be used to cover or be on-call for the weekend shifts.”

Among those opposed to the override is former Selectboard member Gary Winitzer.

“The override isn’t really for an increase for the Police Department,” he said, “That $173,000 is not going to the police, it’s going into the general fund.”

That, he said, is why he also opposes the other two override questions.

“What we need is to have is a (Police Department) that’s interested in policing and to find some local people who are interested in putting in the hours,” Winitzer concluded. “There are people out there who will work part-time.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.