This story by Jason Starr was first published in the Williston Observer on April 27.
Four officers have moved on from the Williston Police Department since the start of the new year, prompting town leaders to bump officer pay and accelerate hiring and retention bonuses.
In a closed-door session earlier this month, the selectboard reopened the town’s three-year employment contract with the officers’ union and agreed on increased wages that amount to “a few dollars more per hour,” according to Town Manager Erik Wells.
Wages were competitive within Chittenden County when the contract was finalized last January but had already become outdated, Wells said, as other agencies have finalized contracts over the past year.
“There is a real high demand for police officers,” he said. “It’s a very challenging job market right now. The town wants to be competitive among other agencies in the area, especially with a very limited pool of qualified, experienced officers out there.”
The selectboard also accelerated “hiring and retention” bonuses that it created last year. The board made $10,000 available for officers to be paid over three years. The first payments totaling $2,500 were distributed last spring. Earlier this month, the board bumped up this year’s payment from $2,500 to $3,750. That means next year’s payment is reduced from $5,000 to $3,750.
“It’s still the same overall amount over three years, we just shifted how we spread it a little bit,” Wells said.
The Williston Police Department was fully staffed from last August to January, when four officers left in quick succession. Neighboring departments are similarly short-staffed.
“It’s the nature of law enforcement right now,” said Wells. “There’s a lot of openings in Vermont and nationally. There are more people retiring or moving into a different career path than getting into policing. It’s anticipated to continue for the next few years at least.”
The town has hired a consultant to assess its current and future policing needs. The consultant, JW Consulting of Arlington, Vt., is led by former Vermont State Police director Jim Baker.
The study will break down where calls for police are coming from, predict where future needs will be and assess the role of mental health professionals supporting the police force.
