Woodbury Police Voice Concern Over Personnel, Request Additional Officers

Woodbury Resident Supervisor Sergeant Kevin Rafferty explained reasons for going over budget in over time last fiscal year at the Woodbury Board of Selectman meeting Thursday night.

Woodbury Officer Tokarz left on an unexpected five month health-related leave of absence last fall. In order to maintain two officers on patrol at all times Sgt. Rafferty had to cover Tokarz’s vacancy with over time, having to miss 112 shifts in the way.

The over time budget for previous year 2008-2009 was $81,000, while 2009-2010 was $80,000 (2007-2008 was $58,000). To cover some expenses, the $22,000 for worker’s compensation to Tokarz was transferred into the over time account. Sick days, PTO, rising gas prices, radar re-calibration and car maintenance also weighed in.

Sgt. Rafferty could not use only part time troopers to cover, as the amount of time that needed to be covered by Ofc. Tokarz’s absence was too great. Rafferty had to bring full timers in to cover more over time than expected. Up until Tokarz’s leave, Rafferty was not going to run over budget. Collective bargaining agreements in the mid-‘90s between state troopers and Woodbury stipulate for one or two trooper basic coverage, depending on the time. The Board of Selectmen and Finance are going to address those collective bargaining agreements. Further, with the tumultuous winter, Rafferty was forced to distribute more over time as troopers either became unavailable or required due to weather.

Sgt. Rafferty employs two day-time part time troopers. He employs 6-8 full time troopers. The base salary for a Woodbury resident state trooper is $65,000. Rafferty’s solution includes bringing on additional full time and part time troopers. Woodbury employs state troopers, all of whom do not live in Woodbury.

A member of the Board of Finance accused Sgt. Rafferty of being a ‘shop steward’ after that member admonished Rafferty for being incommunicado with Paul Hinckley’s previous administration about going over budget then. Another member of the BOF asked Rafferty to ‘stand on his two feet’ and ‘say this is how much [he’ll] need next year’, such that Rafferty nor Woodbury is left with negative wiggle-room. First Selectman Gerald Stomski reassured the Board of Finance that he and Rafferty would work closely with the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance.

Sgt. Rafferty expresses concerns that Woodbury police can not adequately cover Woodbury as it is ’37 square miles and 10,000 people’ with only two troopers on patrol– and sometimes less – at a time. In reference to the risks his officers undertake alone Rafferty stated, “You can’t send one officer to a house on a domestic [call] or emotionally disturbed person.”

Rafferty states that Middlebury (pop. 6,974 in 2005, 18.5 sq. mi.) and Thomaston (pop. 7,938 in 2005, 12.2 sq. mi.) have $1.1-1.2 million dollar budgets and keep two officers on duty at all times, but since Woodbury is on a resident trooper contract, Woodbury spends less. Since the beginning of this year, 18 Connecticut police officers have been killed on duty, mostly through gun fire. Last year, Woodbury had three home invasions, two underage house parties of over 50 people where a person was injured and fatal car accidents. Rafferty is very concerned that only being able to put one on duty at some times is a detriment to the town’s and trooper’s safeties.

The budget was so thin and the pressure to stick to it so high that on some midnight shifts Rafferty could not have anymore than one officer on duty. Rafferty says he moves from a supervisorial role to patrol as needed. He has his officers meet minimum class requirements, volunteer their services at community events and forego previous health benefits at $14,000/officer/year savings and he keeps his cars off at any available times, running without A/C in the summer unless standing for a long time.

Rafferty has been able to stretch the lives of patrol cars to nine years. He is considering the faster, more fuel efficient Ford Interceptor, a 3.5L V6 with the fastest lap time of any vehicle during Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department testing. The current squad cars are V8 Crown Victorias of old.

Sgt. Rafferty requested monies for on-board in-car computers. These computers can move from car to car. The bulk of the price goes to installation of hardware, while Rafferty will save on refurbished computer models. Woodbury currently has no computer systems in their police cars. Less populous Bethlehem, Harwinton, Washington and Burlington have on-board computers.

Although Sgt. Rafferty’s contractual obligations in effect require him as a liaison between Troop L and First Selectman Stomski, hereon Rafferty will be communicating with the full Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance.