New Bedford Police: Residents need to know staffing levels down

NEW BEDFORD — The New Bedford Police Union is taking to social media to bring "decreased staffing levels" to the public's attention.

The union's been posting alerts on its Facebook page since Feb. 2 stating that the New Bedford Police Department was operating "at a decreased staffing level per order of the Chief of Police."

The purpose, according to the posts, "is to keep city residents and visitors aware of the decrease in the number of officers on the street and a possible decrease in the expected level of service promised to them by city officials."

The alerts have been posted stating police took to their shifts Feb. 2, Feb. 3, Feb. 4, Feb. 7, Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 with decreased staffing levels. Those posts were made as of Feb. 10.

Union President Lt. Evan Bielski said the postings will continue. "We're trying to make everyone aware of this, keep the citizens and the public aware."

He said when the staffing level falls below what's outlined in the collective bargaining agreement, overtime can be made available to fill the openings.

When can a 'force' be implemented?

If there are no takers, the deputy chief is notified and a "force" can be implemented to fill the spot. An officer can then be assigned to fill the opening, with less senior officers first in line.

The deputy chief makes the decision, Bielski said. There have been no policies issued regarding the practice, he said.

"We get a lot of questions. Why aren't we forcing? Or, why are we forcing this day, and not this day? What's the overall plan?"

According to the police union website, the department is budgeted for 258 officers and has a current staff of 211 officers. There have been 11 retirements and resignations in 2023, 32 resignations to other departments since 2017, and a total of 122 retirements/resignations from the police department since 2017.

Bielski said there are even less working officers than listed, with a new resignation and a retirement logged this month.

He said he believed the department's personnel high point was in 2007 with around 288 officers.

"The workload hasn't decreased over the years. We're expected to do more," he said.

Overwork can lead to police officer burnout

Officers can get overworked and burnt out without adequate staffing, he said. Some areas of the city might not get a dedicated patrol car.

Instead of a proactive patrol car, a car from another sector would have to respond to a call, increasing response time, he said.

Hiring and retention are the main issues, he said. Smaller departments are offering better wages and benefits, and are able to hire New Bedford officers away.

Bielski said he was also seeing officers leaving law enforcement altogether for other professions. "Which I've never seen before."

National crisis of hiring and retaining police officers

Chief Paul Oliveira stated, "The police profession is navigating uncharted waters as we all deal, nationwide, with a hiring and retention crisis. New Bedford is no different than the many other municipalities throughout the country experiencing these same issues.

"Police chiefs have a responsibility to strike a delicate balance between officer safety and public safety, while also acknowledging the importance of officer health and wellness. I understand the added burden placed upon my staff during these unprecedented times."

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Mayor Jon Mitchell stated, “As has been widely reported, staffing shortages in urban police departments are a national problem, especially in the last two years, and unfortunately, New Bedford has not been spared.

"The problem generally has been attributed to changes in public attitude about policing in America. Although I personally believe that the public’s appreciation for the vital work of police officers will eventually recover, it will not happen overnight. In the meantime, here in New Bedford, the police department will continue to expand its recruitment efforts and to find ways of deploying current officers more efficiently.”

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Union contract expired 18 months ago

The union's last contract expired about 18 months ago. Bielski said the union would like to address manpower issues in upcoming bargaining sessions.

The first Feb. 2 alert stated that police were working with decreased staffing levels that same day.

Subsequent postings have come out the day after staffing levels were said to be decreased.

It's stated in one of the posts, "The information is not being released in real-time out of caution for the safety of community as well as the officers on patrol."

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The union "recognizes that the citizens of New Bedford may have questions if their neighborhoods are among those affected by decreased patrol coverage and what the reason is for the lack of assigned officers to their neighborhoods," according to the posts.

The union postings list office phone numbers for residents to contact Chief Oliveira, Mayor Mitchell, and the City Council with their concerns.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford Police Union complain of lower staffing on Facebook