Doubts about state police plans need to be addressed

Fears of state police Troop B in North Canaan closing have taken hold in the Northwest Corner following steps to save money and downsize staffing there, moving dispatch to Troop L in Litchfield. It hasn’t helped that in other areas of the state there have been consolidations, such as that of Troop H in Hartford and Troop W in Windsor Locks at Bradley Airport, that are perceived by some as diminishing police coverage. The department’s spokesman, Lt. J. Paul Vance, told The Hartford Courant that the joining of Troop H and Troop W won’t change the patrols in those coverage areas, so the public won’t feel any difference, in that the consolidation only involves a combining of behind-the-scenes office work.It may make sense to take advantage of office staff multitasking to save money in this time when other state offices have of necessity consolidated in the same way. However, it is still unsettling to consider that state police cost-saving measures could lead to less police support in the areas affected by downsizing. In the rural and wide-ranging region covered by Troop B, as has been noted on this page before in both letters and editorials, less police coverage could be truly chilling to public safety.The Lakeville Journal, as our readers know well, prints the police blotter from Troop B every week. There was some trepidation here at the newspaper that the police log might no longer be available at the North Canaan station, but rather that it would be part of the paperwork transferred to Troop L. However, Vance has reassured Executive Editor Cynthia Hochswender that the blotter will remain in North Canaan, and will be available for viewing by the public there as it is now.At each step of downsizing, the state police have made some effort to reassure the public that it will still be protected at the same levels as before the budget cuts. There are residents, however, such as Salisbury selectman and retired state trooper Mark Lauretano, who remain skeptical about the expressed goals of the consolidations and the challenges facing those in the departments who are left to do more with less. When it is a matter of life and death, as police calls can be, minutes count and those law-abiding citizens whose law-enforcement needs are covered by state troopers want to be well-served, not under-served. Vance, the state police and the Malloy administration that has defined the budget cuts will need to be ever more responsive to the questions raised by Connecticut residents. These taxpayers, who also pay their salaries, are understandably concerned that changes to the state police structure could be detrimental to their personal security. The state police will have to communicate frequently and openly on this issue if they want to allay the fears of those they serve.

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