July 22, 2010
Police Discussions
A few weeks ago, the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, Police Commission, and the Police Retirement Board met in a joint session to discuss the current situation with the police. Recently, three officers have resigned and taken positions in larger departments. Losing a third of our patrol force within a couple of months is obviously very troubling. The concern is compounded by the fact that it can take a whole year to recruit, hire, certify, and field train a new officer.
The goal of the meeting was to have an open dialogue with all the interested parties. The boards all communicated their thoughts as did former and current Colchester officers. It was an extremely productive meeting with some great dialogue. The consensus was that the Police Commission should develop a plan for the Colchester Police and present that to the boards in another joint session.
When all is said and done, I hope the plan will put forth the staffing and equipment needs for police services over the next few years, the relative priority of programs such as a third shift and the school resource officer, and what are hiring practices will be going forward. The plan will be discussed by all the boards at a meeting in August.
While we are discussing the local police program, I have also been in discussions on regionalizing police services. The Connecticut Department of Public Safety has put together a committee to discuss the potential regionalization of the resident trooper program. The committee is comprised of current and former resident troopers, barracks commanders, and First Selectmen. The Commanding Officer of Troop L and the First Selectman of East Lyme are serving as co-chairs and I have agreed to serve as secretary.
There are a number of potential benefits to a regional approach to police services as well as issues that need to be overcome. There’s a lot of work this committee needs to take on, but the members all support the idea of regionalization as do the Commissioner of Public Safety and the State Police Colonel. I will let everyone know the progress of this committee as we complete our goals.
Economic Development Coordinator
Last week, the Board of Selectmen approved the job description of the Economic Development Coordinator position and we are currently seeking applicants to fill this role. The job entails working with existing businesses looking to expand in Colchester as well as promoting Colchester to new businesses.
This is a part-time position which I believe will help increase the number of businesses in Colchester over time. Colchester is still growing and we need to improve our commercial tax base as well as provide additional services to residents. This position is not a silver bullet though. Along with the coordinator, a rewrite of our zoning regulations, expansion of our sewer and water system, and outreach to potential business by the community are all needed to expand our business base.
If you know of anyone interested in this position, please direct them to go to the town’s website at www.colchesterct.gov and look in the Job Opportunities section for the posting.
- Gregg Schuster
First Selectman
Previous Selectman Notes can be viewed at
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