Residents want more traffic enforcement

BOLTON – The town has long had a reputation for strict traffic enforcement, residents acknowledged, but that has apparently waned and some said they would like to see the Police Department renew its focus on efforts to keep speeds down, especially on Main Street.

The majority of the residents who spoke during a public input session held by the Board of Selectmen last week referenced speed and traffic enforcement as they weighed in on Police Department concerns as part of the board’s preparations to search for a new police chief.

Some of the residents who filled the Lois Alex room at the Houghton Building referenced the impact of signs that limited use of air brakes as a positive, a suggestion made by former Police Chief Vincent Alfano.

Former Police Chief Warren Wilson was referenced several times, as the department in the past decades had focused on traffic enforcement and gained wide reknown for its strict speed enforcement.

“They were out there all the time,” Martha Remington said of the officers.

But, others noted traffic concerns exist on other roads in town, not just Main Street.

“I would like coverage on the other 54 miles” of road, resident Burt Schnitzler said.

“I was scared to death to go over 30 in the center of town,” resident Mark Ayotte said, referring to traffic enforcement about 15 years ago. He said enforcement would “help bring back our Main Street.”

He also said it was a prime opportunity for “revenue enhancement,” though several said that should not be an objective. Tickets also require officers to follow through the system, often taking them out of town to court appearances or requiring overtime.

Several residents said they intentionally slow down to force traffic from exceeding the speed limit.

Community policing also generated interest, with several residents noting police have an “intimidating” presence and encouraging interaction with the community.

Schnitzler said there was support for a third cruiser, and the town should be able to afford it. He said the town ranked in the top 10 in median income.

“So when we plead poverty, it’s not that we don’t have the money; we don’t have the will to spend it,” Schnitzler said.

Selectmen Chairman Mark Sprague said the police department budget is fairly high for a town Bolton's size but noted the town is not typical since Route 117 brings in traffic typical for a town two to three times larger.

The department also frequently responds to incidents on the highway.

Ayotte said Main Street has more traffic than the other roads and that traffic includes more unregistered cars from out of town.

“There’s a lot of good, low hanging fruit,” Ayotte said.

He also noted that many stops lead to other things.

“There’s a lot of bad people coming through town.”

Police chief search

Consultant Mark Morse detailed options for selectmen as the town searches for a new police chief.

He laid out a timeline of 90 to 120 days for a search process, but said the board had options ranging from internal appointment to a full search.

One option is to put someone in the position, essentially testing them on the job, Morse said.

That can include a process to determine that the person meets the requirements, though he noted the person likely already met basic requirements by virtue of being in the position to be appointed temporarily.

Other factors would include how the person would work with the board.

That also has a flip side, he said, in a search process, where candidates start to interview the board to see if the town is someplace they want to work. “At some point they are interviewing you,” Morse said.

A comprehensive search should include details for any search committee about what the board, as the appointing authority, would like to see in a new chief.

With a smaller candidate pool over the past few years, Morse said, a consultant would look for “targets of opportunity” to meet the criteria. He also had concerns about how a committee would work, noting some work well and some “spiral out of control.”

Morse described the process, including the fact that the selectmen cannot themselves act as a screening committee if any discussion or interviews would be in executive session.

A screening committee, provided it does not include a majority of the appointing committee, can meet privately to discuss candidates until finalists are determined. At that point, finalists are made public and the Board of Selectmen would interview candidates in public session.

He said in Massachusetts, “the majority of people usually come from a department.”

He said searches that yielded 60 candidates 10 years ago now generate half that.

With the difficulty in finding qualified candidates for such administrative positions, Morse said, there is a tendency to look inside departments.

He said if a department is not stable, new department heads are more likely to be hired from outside the department, rather than promoting from within.

The cost, he said, would typically be between $14,000 and $16,500 plus advertising costs.

Morse said the most effective use of the consultant is in screening and outreach.

“Not most, but many, do an open search,” Morse said.

Morse described the skills that communities tend to look for.

In looking at candidates, however, Morse stressed, “don’t believe anything on paper when you get a resume.”

Two former police officers who also served in the state police and federal marshal’s office both urged keeping the current acting chief, Warren Nelson.

“If you have a good department, there is no reason to bring in someone from outside,” former Bolton officer and U.S. Marshal Dave Taylor said.

“The men are behind him, townspeople like him. You know his work ethic.” 

Selectmen will be reviewing options in future meetings as they start the process of hiring a permanent chief.