Police chief says recruitment gaps, training and tech subscriptions are driving higher costs

Police Chief Chamberlain described Amherst Police Department priorities including community policing, youth programs and ongoing training — and laid out recruitment and equipment cost pressures. He said the community-policing unit has two staff (up from one) and that the department attends roughly 120 community events per year; larger programs such as a youth police academy and a 15‑week citizen police academy require substantial officer time.

On recruitment, Chamberlain said the candidate pool has shrunk over decades: where thousands once took the civil service exam, recent cycles drew under 1,000 countywide. That shortfall lengthens hiring timelines because candidates must pass exams, PT tests, enter academies and complete field training; the chief warned hires placed on a calendar today may not be fully field‑trained for years. He also flagged equipment and subscription costs: radios used to cost about $4,500 and now are quoted at $11,700 each, and the department would need about 160 units — a potential $1.8 million project. "We have a staff of 2 in that unit," Chamberlain said of community policing to illustrate program scale.