BY ROD HANSEN
Local police have seen increases in drunk driving, domestic violence and car accidents over the same time period last year, Police Chief Michael French told members of the Board of Selectmen at their meeting on Monday, May 7.
While the department keeps pace with the rising numbers of incidents, the force is also struggling to replace three employees who have recently retired, French said.
A total of 27 drunk driving arrests were recorded in the first quarter of 2007, up from 19 in the same period last year, French said.
“We haven’t even hit the warm weather months, which is when we tend to experience the highest level DWIs,” he said.
French also noted that many of the drivers arrested for drunk driving come from outside of town, usually to attend a party or some other function or to visit a local bar.
A drunk driving arrest can take several hours of an officer’s shift, French said. The average incident takes two-and-a-half hours to process from the time a driver is arrested until a bail bond agent releases them to a sober individual, French said.
A belligerent drunk driving suspect requires an additional officer, French said.
Selectman Scott Gross asked French if any movement in the state Legislature sought to make drunk drivers pay for their police service costs.
“It seems that, right now, law-abiding citizens pay the costs through their taxes. It would make sense to make (drunk drivers) pay,” Gross said.
Drunk drivers are required to pay restitution if a department can prove in district court that an event warranted an emergency response, French said. However, he said it’s often difficult to collect on such rulings.
French also said there is no movement in New Hampshire to make drunk drivers pay for all services their arrest required, though other states are entertaining similar proposals.
The number of violent crimes have also increased slightly from last year, French said. A total of 35 domestic violence incidents were recorded in the first quarter of 2007, up from 34 in 2006.
Car crashes have seen a more significant spike over last year, French said. A total of 214 crashed occurred in the first quarter of 2007, up from 157 during the same period one year ago.
The department has been trying to cut back on accidents through enforcement, though French said this year brought some ice storms and other weather problems that contributed to the number of accidents.
He also said most accidents can be attributed to speeding and driver inattention.
French presented selectmen with a sheet outlining statistics from the first quarter of 2007. Gross said he wanted to see numbers from previous years for comparison purposes.
Gross and board Chairman John Caprio agreed that a five-year comparison would be helpful, but French said producing such a report through Computer Assisted Dispatch program could prove difficult.
“I can do three (year comparisons) without an issue, and I’ll look into five years,” French said.
Along with facing a growing number of incidents, French said the department also must meet the challenges of having a force made up largely of young officers.
“We now have a young department, with an average of nine years sworn experience. In law enforcement agencies, nine years is very young,” French said.
The department is now working to replace former Capt. Glenn DuBois, former Sgt. Susan LeBel and former Sgt. Mark Young.
All of those longtime members of the police force recently retired.
The process of hiring a new police officer involves several steps, beginning with recruitment and continuing with a written examination for which an applicant must pay $20.
Other steps include a physical fitness assessment using the same requirements as the police academy, an appearance before a board consisting of one supervisor, two patrol officers and a citizens representative.
A total of 12 candidates appeared before a recent oral board review. Eight of those candidates were recommended for the department, and three are now in the background check stage, French said.