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Main Page Atkinson NH Police Dealing With Staffing Crisis
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Posted by: fscpd907

Atkinson police dealing with staffing crisis Chief hopes to hire sixth officer

By Meghan Carey , Staff writer
Eagle-Tribune

ATKINSON - Police Lt. William Baldwin worked 16 hours Christmas Eve, and another 12 hours on Christmas Day.

In fact, he worked 12- to 16-hour days all of December, and barely had any days off because of the department's staffing shortage.

"Maybe one or two days off," Baldwin said. "I can't remember really, to be honest with you, because I'm here all the time."

He's been covering for officers who either left, ran out of hours, or fell ill late in the year.

Former Officer Emmanuel Fardella resigned in November. Then in early December, Cpl. John Lapham went out on sick leave and was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood disorder that's a precursor of leukemia. He is in the hospital undergoing treatment and could end up needing a bone marrow transplant.

That left the department with only three full-time officers, instead of five, creating openings in both the 4 p.m. to midnight and the midnight to 8 a.m. shifts.

Part-time officers usually fill in the shifts for weekends, sick days and vacations. But the department has a part-time vacancy at the moment and one part-time officer exceeded the 1,300 hours allotted for the year and had to be taken out of the rotation by early December, according to police Chief Philip Consentino. Another part-time officer came close to running out of time.

The New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council limits part-time officers to 1,300 hours a year, but does not set a cap for shifts or hours that full-time certified officers can work. As a salaried employee, Baldwin does not get overtime pay. He earned $62,555 in 2006.

"The lieutenant put in more time than he should have," Consentino said of Baldwin. "He was working 60- to 65-hour weeks right along. I take my hat off to him. He's done a fantastic job balancing."

The department's staffing crisis will improve somewhat now that the new year has begun, but not totally, Consentino said.

He has found officers for both Fardella's and the open part-time positions, and he will ask selectmen to approve those hirings at their Jan. 7 meeting. And the hour allotment for part-time workers resets today now that it is 2008.

But that still leaves the department without a full-time officer for Lapham's midnight shift.

Consentino plans to present a warrant article for March that would create a new position to fill the midnight shift, while still leaving a space for Lapham. Lapham will be out for at least a year, if he can return at all, Consentino said.

"Absolutely we want to hold onto him, God willing, and we hope that he'll be back, and we hope that we have his position for him," the chief said.

If the warrant article is approved, it will technically bring the staff up to six full-time officers, but only five will be active. If Lapham returns, the sixth officer would stay on, Consentino said.

But at least until March, the department will have to continue operating with lots of help from its part-time staff. And Consentino isn't looking forward to that.

"Part-time officers are getting harder and harder to get," he said. "Especially during the day, because a lot of these guys have other jobs."

That could mean more long hours for Baldwin.

"Mind you, I don't mind putting in the time for the benefit of the community," Baldwin said. "But after a period of time, it does wear on you."

Posted by: id1811xecj

Quote:

Originally Posted by fscpd907

As a salaried employee, Baldwin does not get overtime pay. He earned $62,555 in 2006.

"The lieutenant put in more time than he should have," Consentino said of Baldwin. "He was working 60- to 65-hour weeks right along. I take my hat off to him. He's done a fantastic job balancing."

"

I will try and remember this when I complain about my job.

Posted by: KozmoKramer

It's interesting that there was no mention of how many hours the chief worked.
I wonder who's idea that was....

Posted by: Inspector

In connection with this story I sadly must report that this morning I received the following message from Steve Arnold of the New Hampshire Police Association.

It is with a heavy heart that I report that Cpl. John Lapham of the Atkinson, NH Police Department passed away yesterday. John fought a hard battle with cancer and ultimately succumbed to SARS, an infection he received following his Bone Marrow transplant, so I’m told. No funeral details as of yet. Fraternally yours,
Steve

Keep Heaven Safe John.

Posted by: Hb13

Thats awful, Rest in Peace sir.

Posted by: JMB1977

Rest in peace.

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