HAMDEN, Conn — For the first time in approximately 10 years, the Hamden Police Department is fully staffed.
In a release earlier this week, Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett and Chief of Police Edward Page Reynolds announced that, as of July 15, the police department has a full roster with 103 filled and budgeted positions.
The last time the police department was fully staffed was in Fiscal Year 2014-2015. According to the release, 41 police officers have been hired under the mayor’s administration since Dec. 22, 2021.
The police department held a swearing-in ceremony on Friday afternoon in the Rotunda of Memorial Town Hall to celebrate the four newest hires.
In the release, Reynolds said he and Garrett are pleased to announce that the police department has reached its full staffing level following the hiring of the four new officers.
“These highly qualified individuals will begin their training at the police academy on Aug. 1, 2024,” Reynolds said in the release. “Also, three additional officers have been enrolled in the police academy since April 26, 2024, with an expected graduation in the fall of 2024. These additions to our team will enhance our ability to serve and protect our community. We look forward to their contributions and dedication to our department.”
Garrett said in the release that while many communities have encountered challenges hiring within public safety, the town’s police department has bolstered its recruitment and eliminated barriers that previously limited hiring.
“Our Human Resources Department, Civil Service Commission and Police Commission have worked to hire great candidates as Entry Level Officers,” Garrett said in the release. “New hires will attend the Police Academy and complete field training in Hamden, giving Hamden more agency over the training of our officers.”
Garrett went on to say she appreciates the work that has gone into “achieving this milestone.”
“I am encouraged that with additional officers on the streets, we now have the ability to more appropriately staff divisions within the police department, including the traffic division,” Garrett said in the release.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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