Three Year Project to Civilianize

Haverhill (Mass.) officials have been negotiating with the police officers’ union for three years to civilianize the comm center, and now expect to move forward with the plan by next Spring. Two officers staff the center at all times, and one of those positions will be filled by a civilian. That will require hiring three civilians dispatchers, and it will free up one extra officer each shift who can perform patrol duties. The department has 71 officers for the town of 59,000 residents. The police officer’s union president calls the department “understaffed,” and that 30 more officers are needed to combat a 16% increase in violent crime over the past 9 months.