New Hampshire police departments face fluctuating, worrisome officer shortages
Apr. 26—Duty. Honor. Bravery. The excitement of working in a high-stakes job that rarely involves the same situation twice. Investigating cyber crimes and catching predators. Preventing kids from becoming mired in drugs and violence. Keeping the peace in schools, cities and small towns.
Law enforcement has enduring appeal — but the demand in New Hampshire is outstripping supply.
"If you want to help people and make a difference with all that's going on in the world, there's no better time to do it," said officer Jackie Gaumer, who joined the Manchester Police Department last year after studying criminal justice at Saint Anselm College. Few if any of her fellow graduates stepped up to pursue that mission right after college, she said.
That's a compounding problem.
The number of law enforcement jobs across the state is growing faster than the number of qualified applicants, causing police departments to juggle manpower, duties and finances — and offer big bonuses to boost recruitment and retention.
The crisis has many roots, including changing perceptions of police work, the availability of easier and higher-paying jobs, and a societywide emphasis on work-life balance. As experienced officers retire or change careers, there aren't enough new ones to replace them, according to law enforcement leaders. A 2011 change in eligibility for retirement benefits — from 20 years to 25 — hasn't helped.
Some smaller departments have shrunk by 30% to 50%, according to police chiefs across New Hampshire.
"The hiring rate cannot stay on pace with attrition," said John Scippa, director of the New Hampshire Police Academy. "New Hampshire is facing the same exact problem our whole nation is facing: a significant reduction in people interested in working in public service and as police officers."
New Hampshire State Police isn't immune to the challenge, said Col. Mark Hall. His agency has 73 trooper openings on a staff of 362 in all divisions.
A shallow pool
Municipal departments fear a persisting staff shortage.
"We are a safe state. But we're not going to maintain 'the safest state in the country.' That will gradually slip away if staff and retention continue to deteriorate," said Chief Allen Aldenberg of the Manchester Police Department, which has 23 vacancies on a force of 272 sworn officers.
Being at full capacity, he said, would enable a resurgence in neighborhood policing, which goes a long way to reducing crime and increasing understanding, trust and support for law enforcement.
Bedford's police department, which would be full with 41 officers, has been down seven for almost two years despite offering signing bonuses of $10,000 for experienced officers and $5,000 for those who still need academy training.
"It's challenging, not just in New England but nationwide," said Bedford Chief Daniel Douidi. Some officers jump shift to collect a bonus elsewhere, he said. "Everybody in New Hampshire is picking from the same pool, and that affects all of us."
Statewide, the number of officers is always in flux, chiefs say, with officers starting and leaving and transferring to jobs in other agencies. It's virtually impossible to estimate how many openings exist at one time among New Hampshire's roughly 4,000 state troopers, county sheriff's deputies and local police officers.
Over two decades, many town and small city departments have grown faster than the populations they serve. But the demands on police have broadened and become more complex, according to law enforcement research, with expanded cyber crime, drug abuse and a burgeoning fentanyl trade, along with more calls involving people experiencing mental health crises and reports of human smuggling and other invisible crimes.
To cover unfilled positions, law officers are picking up extra shifts and some are working more overtime than is sustainable long term, department heads report. Supervisors are going on patrol when needed.
Recruiting season
Police chiefs are using novel approaches to attract patrol staff.
"We're going to colleges, job fairs, any social media platform out there, reaching out to military bases," Bedford's Douidi said. "Everybody's in the same boat."
Six months ago, when Franklin's police ranks dropped by 70%, the city offered to pay municipal employees who referred successful hires, and the police chief engaged West Coast consultants to launch a targeted campaign to recruit officers on social media. That brought staffing back up to between 70% and 80%, the chief said.
To offer higher salaries in a competitive local job market, Claremont temporarily shelved three officer positions so it could raise wages by 16% over the next two years. Chief Brent Wilmot hopes that will draw enough candidates to fill five of the department's eight vacancies. When that happens, the city has pledged to fund three more officers, he said.
Sign-on bonuses of $2,500 to $5,000 are common at many municipal departments. But sometimes that's not enough.
In Lebanon, when smaller amounts failed to gain traction, City Manager Shaun Mulholland, a former police chief in Allenstown, offered a $30,000 sign-on bonus to attract experienced officers — the amount it would cost to send a new officer to the New Hampshire Police Academy. This strategy pulled an officer from nearby Claremont and another from Rhode Island.
Statewide, recruitment and retention have morphed into a year-round challenge, police departments say.
"It's one of these social issues that's so multifaceted. Is it generational? Yes. Is it the pay? Yes. Is it the national conversation? Yes. Is it the 'Defund the Police' movement? Yes," said Franklin Chief David Goldstein, a former state trooper who testifies to state lawmakers on behalf of New Hampshire's chiefs of police.
Culture and COVID
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the law enforcement crunch accelerated during and after the pandemic. A nationwide exodus has since slowed slightly, according to national reports, and fewer older and seasoned officers are retiring early or switching careers now than between 2020 and 2022. But there's still a dearth.
In a 2023 nationwide poll by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance: 48% of law enforcement agencies said the biggest issue facing police work today is recruitment and retention; 21% cited the risk of prosecution for on-duty actions, followed by 17% naming officer wellness and morale. Roughly 7% pointed to media coverage of police issues, 4% cited spikes in crime and 3% cited ambush attacks.
"Police have gotten a bad rap for a few years," said Northfield Lt. Allysia Burton.
"There's a lot out there in the news. A lot of negativity. That's something people in my generation see and think about," said Manchester officer Gaume, who joined the Manchester Police eight months ago. "It makes it harder to step into. It's a lot more enticing to go for a 9 to 5 job."
The murder five years ago of George Floyd by Minneapolis police sparked a national movement that brought needed, overdue changes — but also trepidation.
"They're afraid if they try to do the right thing they'll still be vilified for it," said Scippa, the police academy's director.
Five officers exiting a department of 20 translates to a 25% decline. "At the same time, you can only hire two people to fill five open slots. It's almost like a leaky pipe or a leaky bucket. You're losing more water than you're able to pour in," Scippa said.
Seller's market
Despite the widespread shrinking of staffing levels at law enforcement agencies, the police academy's classes remain full with as many enrollees as in the past, Scippa said. To train new officers quickly, the academy has offered overlapping sessions for the past year "'with more classes than we've ever done historically." Courses cover everything from de-escalation to cultural diversity, ethics and mental health, he said.
Salem Police Chief Joel Dolan hopes a recent display of community support for local police will boost his department's future ability to recruit and retain — after a 12-year decline in applications for positions in the department.
Last month, a warrant article to fund a new police station garnered 78% of the vote. It was the town's fourth attempt in 20 years to gain approval.
"It certainly was a morale booster," said Dolan. "Twenty years ago we had 300 to 400 people applying for one or two positions and a waiting list with three to six qualified candidates" vying for one or two jobs. Now one or two candidates are competing for five or six slots.
Recruitment and retention, once an ancillary duty, has become "a nearly full-time job," Dolan said. Last month, Salem had four vacancies in its 70-person department.
"Every police department has openings right now," he said. "If you're a qualified candidate, you can pick and choose."
