Woodbury police Sgt. flags overtime, vehicle and AED needs; facilities roof aged about 40 years

Sgt. Matt Costella addressed the Boards of Selectmen and Finance during the Jan. 24 budget workshop to explain the police department’s budget requests and drivers of overtime.

Costella said the department has been short-staffed and that senior officers have accumulated significant time-off, both of which contribute to overtime; he said there was no single factor explaining overtime levels. He provided descriptions for requested equipment and explained that some items previously listed as capital were moved into operating lines this year to better reflect IT and other recurring expenses.

Costella discussed vehicle management plans: when a new patrol vehicle is purchased, the department intends to retain the older vehicle for school-resource officer or administrative duties. He also said on-board AEDs are out of date and will be replaced to align with EMS equipment. Facilities Manager Ed McGrath told the boards the roof on a police building is roughly 40 years old and needs replacement.

Costella also noted the department’s Humvees were obtained from the military and would be costly to return to their point of origin.

No motions or votes on police funding were taken at the workshop; boards asked for more detail on specific equipment costs and overtime reduction strategies.