The town could be getting four new police officers, thanks to the economic stimulus program.

Chief David Bailey said his department had planned on two new officers for this year, but those were cut from the town budget out of economic concerns.

Now, those two positions — plus two more — might be restored through the federal economic stimulus program.

Bailey said the department will apply for the positions this month.

The plan to expand the force was set out in a report by consultant Municipal Resources. So far, five officers have been hired under the MRI plan. Two more were slated for 2009 and three more for 2010.

“My thought is we had a plan to put people on anyways which got postponed because of the economic situation in the country,” Bailey said.

In 2009, the town would have gotten a patrol sergeant and patrol officer. Next year, it was due for one lieutenant and two patrol officers, according to a budget memo from Town Manager Russ Marcoux.

The federal grant would fully fund salaries and benefits for four officers for three years. The town has to commit to retaining those officers for at least one more year. In that fourth year, the town would pick up the cost of their salaries and benefits. But Bailey said he would not have to hire all four officers at once and could stagger them. That way, taxpayers would not face a spike in the budget in the fourth year.

Bailey has not yet calculated the cost of the four officers. But the town originally would have hired two officers for the last six months of 2009 – a patrol sergeant would have cost $46,631 and the patrol officer, $35,065.

Bailey said he learned of the grant opportunity a month ago, but application forms did not become available until last week and the deadline is in April.

Bailey would not say what he thought his chances were for getting the grant, but he has been successful in the past. He once obtained four new officers through a federal grant.

The economic stimulus money is actually channeled through a pre-existing grant program known as Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS.

“They’re not creating any new kinds of bureaucratic engines to distribute all of this,” Bailey said. “It’s all going through existing programs.”

Bailey said he has received permission from Town Manager Russ Marcoux to apply for the grant. But still needs an OK from the Town Council to accept the money if his application is approved at the federal level.