Police chief outlines enforcement gains, staffing and safety investments

Chief Jody Casper briefed the Select Board Feb. 4 on the police department’s recent work and priorities. Casper said the department has added two police‑officer positions in the current fiscal year and that a second school resource officer was funded and placed in the schools. Casper also reported enforcement metrics for the fiscal year to date, including 17,800 parking tickets issued so far.

"So our officers have been very busy out there enforcing parking regulations," Casper said, and noted that ticket counts are seasonal: the town’s fiscal year begins July 1 and enforcement increases in summer months.

Casper highlighted targeted, data‑driven traffic enforcement (more than 7,000 targeted enforcements last year) and said the department completed a multi‑agency active‑attack response training with dispatch and fire partners. She also described detective‑division work focusing on narcotics enforcement and a notable rise in fraud reports (54 in FY24 to 93 in FY25). The department obtained a handheld substance‑testing device through a grant written by Denise Allen and expects to deploy it after training.

Harbormaster Sheila Lucy presented her division’s work, explaining daily beach headcount methods and announcing the acquisition of a multi‑mission 'Harbour Guard' vessel with approximately 3,500 gallons‑per‑minute pumping capacity for marine firefighting. Lucy also said the town’s lifeguard program earned recertification from the United States Lifesaving Association and that a new lifeguard dorm and equipment consolidation are improving operations. The harbormaster office plans to expand public communications about beach and waterway conditions via QR codes and daily updates.

Lucy also noted plans to offer free voting‑safety classes tied to a state requirement referenced in the presentation (transcript referred to this as the 'Hanson Malone act') with phased deadlines in 2026 and 2028.

Board members and members of the public asked questions about parking‑ticket seasonality and how housing availability affects recruitment and retention; Casper said housing has improved for new hires but long‑term retention remains a challenge.