Editorial: Invest in your own safety, Vote Yes on 22

A starting Milton Police officer fresh out of the academy makes about $16 an hour, probably less than the guy who delivers your mail or your fuel oil.

Police officers, however, are not delivering something tangible like cards at Christmas, or propane.

They’re delivering safety, peace of mind, maybe some peace and quiet.

Maybe they get that noisy neighbor to turn down their stereo on a hot summer night. Maybe they talk to the kids playing basketball on a busy neighborhood street. Maybe they even cart away some heroin addict who lives a couple of streets from your house, or break up a knife fight downtown.

Tomorrow, Milton residents get a chance to invest in their own safety by voting Yes on Article 22, which will finally stop the revolving door of seasoned police officers leaving for higher paying jobs in bigger departments.

We’re not saying Milton residents should be footing the bill to pay salaries like can be had in Rochester or Dover or Portsmouth.

But $16? C’mon, man!

The Milton Police Department is currently at half staff. That’s going to be the new normal, because most officers departing for better pay don’t give a nine- or 12-month notice that they’re outta here, and that’s how long it takes to train a cop and put them on the street.

If anyone reads the newspapers or the arrest log, they know there are some serious crime issues in town.

So why would you want to force your best officers to leave. They’re the ones that are getting a feel for the town and its neighborhoods, the trouble spots, the dope dealers. They’re the ones who are gaining the confidence to use their skills to defuse dangerous or confrontational situations between disagreeing neighbors or domestic disputes.

But that’s what you’re doing now. Forcing your best to leave.

Since 2001, 18 officers have left for better paying jobs. Of those 18, the town of Milton paid for the training of 15, which costs about $30,000 apiece.

This year alone Milton will hire and train three new officers with no previous experience.

The Milton Police Department staff is so far down now, there is often just one officer sometimes responding to critical incidents like car crashes and assaults. That’s not even safe.

If they have to wait for back up from Farmington or Rochester or State Police, that’s not safe either.

The current new hires will not be available until September.

The money raised if the warrant article is passed will raise a starting officer’s pay to about $20 an hour.

Sure they’ll still probably be able to make some more money if they move to Rochester or Dover, but it is sure to stop the hemorrhaging that is now occurring.

Stop a dangerous situation from becoming more dangerous. Vote yes on Article 22.

For more information on the current and proposed pay scale visit http://www.miltonnh-us.com/uploads/page_right_213_1706994924.pdf.

- HT