Swampscott selectmen hear from chief about COPS grant

SWAMPSCOTT – The police department and going green dominated the discussion at the Board of Selectmen meeting.Police Chief Ronald Madigan informed the selectmen about a Department of Justice grant that could help put another police officer on the streets for three years at no cost to the town. Madigan said the Community Orientated Policing Services (COPS) grant would pay the current entry level salary and benefits for new police officers for a period of three years; after that, the town would take on that expense.Madigan said the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Orientated Policing Services announced that grants are being made available under a hiring recovery program and he would like to apply for funding for one new officer. He said the grant would pay 100 percent of the salary and benefits for three years.Madigan said he expects the grant would pay approximately $200,000 over the three-year period for one officer. He said that amount assumes step increases and cost of living raises but does not include overtime.The department currently has 32 officers and Selectman Adam Forman asked how much hiring an additional officer would save the town in overtime. Madigan said with the exception of the first year when a new officer would have to attend the academy for six months, he expects one additional officer would save approximately $45,000 in overtime costs.This would not be the first time the department has taken advantage of grant programs for adding officers.Madigan said in the 1990s the town had five officers funded through a similar grant and in 2001 the town hired a school resource officer through the grant program.The selectmen did not take any action on Madigan’s recommendation and agreed to discuss it at an upcoming meeting.At the selectmen meeting Tuesday evening, members of the Renewable Energy Committee updated the selectmen on their quest to improve energy efficiency in town.Renewable Energy Committee Chairman Tara Gallagher said energy is expensive but it a cost that be controlled. She added there are environmental costs to energy use as well.Gallagher said the committee would like to proceed with using the services of an energy performance contractor to save on utility costs.She explained using the contractor would mean the town would not have to pay any up-front costs for energy improvements.”The improvements are paid for with energy savings,” she said.