Kittery Town Manager: PD is “Woefully Understaffed.”

Kittery is not the same Kittery it was years ago.  It's grown by leaps and bounds and needs more Police Officers - badly.

According to a story from seacoast online, the Town Manager, Kendra Amaral, told the Town Council that the Police Department is "woefully understaffed."  The department currently has 18 officers, not including the chief and lieutenant.  In 1987, there were 17.  33 years of growth and only 1 more officer in the department is not cutting it for all of the public's needs, especially in the summer.

The story goes on to say that Kittery has grown significantly with the increase of restaurants, outlets and other attractions.  The Town is no longer the sleepy seaside community it once was.  It has a population of just under 10,000 and increases over the Summer.  Anyone who lives here on the Seacoast knows the influx of tourists we get every year can get overwhelming, especially the traffic.

The Town Manager also said that the PD is busy with domestic calls, drug-related incidents and mental health issues.  There is simply not enough staff for things like traffic watch.

The report says that this is not a problem specific to just Kittery.  Rochester, NH is having the same issue and Nationwide, there is a call for more Police Officers across the country.

Kittery would like to hire 10 more officers over the next few years, the report cites.

If you would like more information, contact Sergeant Bill Walsh:  WWalsh@KitteryPolice.com