Joint Ways and Means Committee hearing held

By Matthew Bernat
Turley Publications Reporter

STURBRIDGE - State public safety officials warned legislators this week that unless more funding is dedicated for police training, correctional programs and similar measures the level of service provided by those public agencies would be compromised.
“The level of state police funding, and staffing, is now posing a very real and significant public safety challenge to us and across the commonwealth,” said Kurt Schwartz, undersecretary of Law Enforcement and Fire Services.
Schwartz said the state suffers from budget reductions that occurred through the years. The end result is a shortfall of 300 state police troopers.
“You’re seeing staffing levels on the patrol side drop. You’re seeing staffing levels on the investigative side drop,” Schwartz said. “We can no longer sustain these gradual reductions and still provide the level of service that we have.”
He said if no action is taken this year the shortfall would increase to 425 officers below the recommended staffing level of 2,500. At that point, the commonwealth needs to start eliminating state police barracks to continue the agency’s core mission, Schwartz said.
“I can’t underscore the public safety crisis that we’re headed into if we do not start hiring state police officers,” he said.
He spoke during a joint Ways and Means Committee hearing at Tantasqua Regional High School, one of several held throughout the state to hear testimony on this year’s state budget proposal.

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