How Does Police Shooting Connect To Our April Override?

Reading Police Chief Mark Segalla presented a 17-page report in December that said his department was shorthanded and needed help. Town Manager Bob LeLacheur agreed and in making the town's case for an override he listed positions he'd like to fill, including five policeman. The message to residents/voters was clear. At the present staffing levels, we're asking for trouble.

This past Saturday trouble found us when a Reading police officer shot and killed a 43-year-old man wanted in connection to an alleged assault.

No one is saying it wouldn't have happened if Reading had those five additional officers. That would be silly. Reading police won't comment because the investigation is ongoing, but page 5 of Segalla's December report gives an inside look at the domino effect Saturday's shooting may have been subject to.

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Many police calls require more than one officer to respond. There are also serious calls that require several officers to be on scene for. With the current staffing levels, even one serious call cripples the entire shift, forcing the department to rely on mutual aid from surrounding departments in order to resolve these calls. Although this is not the case regularly on every shift, these incidents happen often enough that it causes a strain on patrol officers and their supervisors.

The $1,495,031 town side of the override hasn't been finalized yet, though it will certainly include additional bodies for the police and fire departments. Reading's 19,000-plus voters will be asked on April 3 if they're willing to pay more taxes, an average of $519 per household, for many things including additional public safety.

Will Saturday's shooting change any minds? If nothing else, it's a reminder that sometimes trouble finds Reading.

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