East Hampton police chief: two of three school officers paid by district; events, noise and staffing stretch department

East Hampton Village Police Chief Jeffrey Erickson said the department provides three school resource officers and that "two of the three are funded by the school district," a partnership the chief said was requested by local school leaders.

Erickson made the comments during an interview on the Radical Magician radio program, where host Jim Fredo asked how local policing has changed with population growth and heavier summer crowds. Erickson said the village’s seasonal surge and increased full‑time residency since COVID have intensified parking, traffic and crowd-control demands, forcing the department to allocate officers to large events and to patrol duties that affect response capacity.

Why it matters: The funding arrangement for school resource officers (SROs) ties school safety directly to the district’s budget choices and reflects local support for on-site officers. At the same time, Erickson said, event coverage and quality-of-life calls — from parades and festivals to noise and construction complaints — require repetitive staffing that competes with patrol shifts.

Erickson described substantial event needs, citing the village’s "Tuesdays at Main" program, Santa Fest expanded into all-day programming, the village’s first Pride parade and other gatherings that in some cases require eight to 10 officers. He also said the East Hampton Village Foundation and trustees coordinate many of those events, and that the village board and mayor (he named Mayor Larson) have been supportive of department resourcing.

On neighborhood complaints, Erickson said the department handles most noise and contractor complaints directly and gives warnings that often resolve disputes. "For the most part 99% of the time... once they realize that they're bothering their neighbors, they comply with our orders," he said.

Erickson warned that reliance on seasonal officers is limited by recruitment and civil-service restrictions. He said seasonal officers are difficult to find and that civil-service hour limitations constrain how many hours they can be deployed during the short summer season unless rules are adjusted.

Erickson closed by stressing the department’s community orientation: he described the village as ‘‘a gem’’ with strong community ties and said he and his officers work to keep events safe while preserving residents’ quality of life.

The interview did not record any formal policy changes or votes; Erickson described existing arrangements and operational limits and said continuing partnerships with the school district and village government underpin current staffing and funding.

The program aired without a recorded formal next step for the topics discussed; Erickson indicated ongoing coordination with the school district and village leadership on staffing and event planning.