Hampton's new police chief talks officer shortage, body cams and patrolling Hampton Beach

HAMPTON — Just days after being sworn in as police chief on Dec. 19, Alex Reno was working with other departments planning for the arrival of a “bomb cyclone,” as the winter storm that paralyzed much of the country came roaring towards the East Coast.

When it slammed into Hampton Beach on Dec. 23, while he and his officers were knee-deep in icy flood waters, closing roads, supporting firefighters dealing with multiple fires, pleading with residents to stay away, and ordering waterlogged vehicles towed when they didn’t, Reno could still laugh. He was excited to be Hampton’s new police chief, he said, with all the challenges that presents.

“I wish people could get a glimpse of what it’s like to work with all these people,” Reno said. “It’s an awesome department; we have awesome staff. And it’s everyone, the Fire Department, Public Works, the administration, the townspeople. Hampton is a great place to work.”

A 21-year veteran law enforcement professional at 40 years old, the chief’s stars on Reno’s collar came earlier than expected. Reno replaces former chief David Hobbs, who retired to become safety director for Northern Essex Community College in Massachusetts.

Hobbs and Reno worked together closely, and Reno’s experience since joining Hampton PD in 2002 includes about every job there is, dispatching, patrol, school resource work, investigation, prosecution and administration.

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New chief, new command structure

With Hobbs’ early departure, Reno is moving to a previous department command organizational model with two captains, one lieutenant and seven sergeants, he said. The two captains replace one deputy chief.

Scott Bates will serve as the department’s operations bureau commander while Anthony Azarian will be the commander of the administration bureau.

Reno has yet to fill the lieutenant’s position in his leadership team but expects to do so by promoting one of the department’s sergeants, which includes four patrol sergeants, one administrative, one detective and one prosecution sergeant.

Reno said the department is preparing for the testing process necessary to fill the resulting sergeant’s vacancy.

Reno’s top priority is to hire and retain officers

Hampton Police Department is approved for a total of 39 full-time officers. Keeping all of those positions filled, Reno said, has proven difficult in recent years, as veterans retire or leave and fewer individuals choose law enforcement as a career for reasons including negative public sentiment, long hours and physical danger.

“One of our biggest challenges is to address our personnel shortage,” he said. “We’re not unique. It’s a national problem.”

Currently, the department has 34 officers and two new hires, Dillon Hanson and former dispatcher Kalei Chase.

Reno said he’s about to make an employment offer to another but that still leaves two slots to fill.

Reno said the new hires fill the two additional police officers that voters approved last year. Once they graduate from the Academy, he said, they will focus on the issues residents want addressed, such as areas where speeding is problematic.

The concern of insufficient part-time patrol officers, however, also looms large, he said. The department is approved for 70 part-timers to meet summer needs when Hampton’s population nearly triples with vacationers. But according to Reno, the department has less than half that number on the rolls.

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To meet coverage requirements last summer, Hampton hired off-duty officers from other agencies. While Reno appreciates their willingness to help, he’s hoping to plump up the department’s part-time officer numbers considerably.

He has spoken with the director of standards and training from the Police Academy in Concord. Reno found the director “receptive” to a more flexible training schedule for the Part-Time Academy. If implemented, it could have trained part-timers working shifts in a more timely fashion, Reno said.

“We prefer to have Hampton uniforms out on the streets, but our numbers are down so we’ll go to outside agencies if we have to,” he said. “But I’m looking to hire our own part-time officers. I’m looking for retired police officers, those free during the summer, like teachers and college students.”

Hampton Police Department wants officers to wear body cameras

As the nation dealt with allegations of police misconduct in many communities, the public outcry for accountability led to calls for cruiser dashboard cameras as well as body cams worn by officers.

Cameras can answer the demand for more transparency in law enforcement, Reno said, and can also be a good training tool.

Hampton’s March Town Meeting will hold two questions requesting funding for the equipment/training for dash/body cameras, as well as to hire a second lieutenant to oversee the implementation and maintenance of the systems, including the legal issues. The cost is estimated at more than $300,000 over the coming years.

Reno said the department hopes to host an information session before March to answer residents' questions and gain their input.

“We’re taking a neutral approach to this; we understand it’s a lot of money,” Reno said. “So, we’re looking for public feedback.”

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Utilizing grants to increase public safety

When it comes to how much can be done to protect the public’s safety, it often comes down to money and people, and Reno understands the weight that places on residents.

For example, in the case of body cams, it might be a good idea, but it comes with a big price tag. And Reno would like to utilize the department’s horse-mounted officers to patrol the beach more frequently, but first he needs more part-time officers.

There are, however, ways Reno plans to increase funding to HPD that will take some of the burdens off taxpayers, like the $50,000 grant already written and approved for use if voters OK body cams.

The department will continue to work closely with the State Office of Highway Safety, run by the New Hampshire State Police, which provides funds for local patrols that take distracted and impaired drivers off Hampton roads. It’s resulted in a recorded number of drunk driving arrests for the past few summers, Reno said.

In addition, grant funds from this agency paid for improved radar equipment, Reno said, and the e-ticket and e-crash report programs which get officers back on patrol quicker after a stop or an accident.

“The time spent on a traffic stop is reduced with e-tickets,” Reno said. “The officer writes the citation on his (cruiser) laptop and fires it off from the cruiser directly to the courthouse. It reduces the time for accident reports. It streamlines the administrative process.”

Reno’s also exploring federal programs that may offer grants to absorb some of the cost of public safety, he said.

“There’re a number of different funding options to take some of the burdens off taxpayers,” he said. “We’re very big on exploring grant options here.”

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Reno shares Hampton Police Department's vision

Being a chief in a residential and tourist community like Hampton is a responsibility that Reno takes very seriously, he said. Whether those he protects are residents or visitors, he plans to ensure their safety.

“We want people to come to Hampton to have fun with their friends and families,” he said. “But if you’re coming here to hurt people, cause trouble or destroy property, then there’ll be a rapid response to intervene. We want to create a safe atmosphere for residents and visitors alike.”

Additionally, Reno understands the dilemmas facing law enforcement today and is looking to the community to help formulate answers.

“We’re looking to continue down the path of transparency,” Reno said. “We want to expand our community involvement programs, like National Night Out, Coffee with a Cop, a Citizen Police Academy and other programs improving relationships between us and the community.”

Reno hopes to increase information on the Police Department’s website and heighten the department’s work with the schools.

“I want to hear what the community has to say,” he said. “We work at the will of the people. We want to know what’s important to them.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Police chief talks officer shortage, patrolling Hampton Beach NH