Why History Is Relevant to Police District Issue

This post is my response to questions about the history of Randolph and why it matters to the police district. I would like to thank everyone for their feedback, and to those signing the petition.

It is a long essay, because this is a complicated issue, but I will get to the point, I promise. The history is to understand why the police district was created in the first place, and why the need has changed.

I can only post short pieces on front porch forum, so I am doing one post a day, hopefully that makes it easier to read. I apologize in advance to those that don't like to read; nothing worthwhile is easy.

Individually, I think most people would say they don’t need law enforcement on their street. I don’t see a dire need for police on Elm Street. Collectively, however, when the need for law enforcement arises, most people appreciate having police coverage. The critical question is really what happens without it? It is not a question of individual needs, but the needs of the entire town.

I intend to demonstrate how times change and yet people get stuck with the status quo and don’t want to change with the times. The village used to be much busier than it is today, because the village used to be the destination for commerce in the region. When I moved here in 1981, the village businesses were the major employer, and there were people everywhere. The businesses south of the village today did not exist 40 years ago, when the town and village merged together. Restaurants were busy. Shops were full. Vacancies were minimal. Business was good.

Randolph is somewhat unique because the village is the intersection of several state highways which provide the bulk of traffic, especially during peak times. People are either going to one of the regional schools, the hospital, or they are traveling THRU the village to get to work or to shop, especially at one of the businesses south of the village district. Years ago, people were traveling TO the village, either to work or to shop. The village was the reason for the traffic, now the village is stuck in the middle of traffic. Most people are not stopping to shop or work in the village, they are passing thru. Our geography is more similar to Northfield and Waterbury than Chelsea and Tunbridge.

The village is busy because of the location, not because it is a destination. Where before the village needed local police coverage due to the activity of business and residents, we now see primarily traffic enforcement in the time spent by officers. Arrests are way down compared to past years, it was several hundred per year in the 1990’s, last year less than 50. However, traffic tickets have increased and warnings are thru the roof. Even DWI enforcement is nothing compared to the past, we have no bars now. The village after 5 pm is very quiet. Restaurants have trouble staying open, and we have numerous vacant buildings. People shop on Amazon.

If the village was not the junction of several state highways, the need to enforce traffic laws would diminish. The village only has 2,000 people, compared to 5,000 for the entire town. The history shows that the need for local law enforcement in the village was driven primarily by business that does not exist in the village today. That is why the village was fine with 3 deputies providing 120 hours per week from the OCSD under the recent contract, compared to 6 full-time officers, plus part-time, in the past under Chief Mollitor and Chief Krakowiecki.

The problem is it is difficult but not impossible to run a department with only 3 officers, with vacation, sick time, leave, etc.. In 2020, there were 1,983 police departments with 2-4 full time officers, about 17% of all agencies nationwide. However, it is more expensive due to economies of scale.

If the town does not want to expand the district, then the village could simply refuse to fund more than 3 full-time officers, with overtime in the case of emergency. When the shift is over, they go off-duty and all calls go to the state police.

I think the calls reported by the state police in 2023, about 1,000 coming from town (not village), demonstrate the need for local coverage, but I understand the reluctance. I am simply trying to show that our needs have changed, and therefore so should our approach to providing police coverage. If we continue to rely on outside agencies, then we give up control as we saw when the OCSD contract was canceled.

Yes, running our own department has issues, every decision has implications. All law enforcement agencies are lacking qualified personnel. But if we have a police department, we owe the officers working our full support.

I am still working on this. The other problem is severe inflation in the cost of law enforcement. More soon.

Summary of Attempts to Expand Police District in Randolph

In 2001, a police/fire committee recommended expanding the police district south to include the businesses on Beanville Road, and Shaw’s plaza. A total of roughly 150 residents would have been required to pay tax for police services in the newly expanded district. However, at town meeting, 12 residents of the proposed expanded district were unanimous in voting no and the expansion was defeated. It is not clear from the Herald article  why 12 notes were able to defeat a vote affecting 150 people. The article does not say how many votes were in favor of the expansion.

(Source: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/police-district-wont-be-expanding-in-randolph/

In 2005, a police services committee was created to study the issue and make recommendations, very similar to our current committee. However, the expansion was again defeated by voters.

(Source: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/citizens-disagree-on-police-district/)

In 2006, town meeting was largely devoted to discussion of the police district expansion. There was an informal vote taken, with the results showing “most people wanted some expansion of the police district—either to include the whole town or just the adjacent commercial properties. They also want the town as a whole to be able to vote on it.”  

(Source: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/randolph-meeting-lasts-3-hours/)

The police budget was defeated twice in 2006, in part due to the anger and resentment of village taxpayers that Randolph Police were responding to calls outside of the village. A police committee advising the selectboard at the time recommended that the Randolph Police be forbidden from responding to calls outside the village district, except in cases of immediate risk of life and death.  The police force at the time consisted of 6 full time officers. The revised budget with 5 officers was once again rejected after the budget committee recommended voting no to protest the village paying for police services.

(Source: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/whats-the-future/)

In 2007, the issue was raised and a police advisory committee was formed to make recommendations. Once again, the idea of expanding the district to cover the entire town was debated after the police department complained that officer salaries were too low to retain qualified personnel. The argument was the village alone cannot afford to pay competitive salaries but this could be affordable if the entire town paid for it. 

During the 2007 debates, a petition was created by Joe Voci and signed by 164 residents opposed to any expansion of the police district. The petition requested the selectboard refuse to consider any expansion unless the expansion was requested by town residents - the people who would be subject to new taxes to pay for it. Of course, those outside of the village district ultimately refused to expand the district.

(Source: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/selex-wont-act-on-police-petition/)

In July, 2018, following the resignation of Chief Brunelle after 11 months on the job, the selectboard formed an ad-hoc committee to “explore options about the future of policing in downtown, including questions about whether to expand the downtown police district or eliminate the department altogether.” 

“There has been a lot of discussions over the years about whether the current force was sized correctly,” wrote selectboard chair Trini Brassard in an email on Tuesday, outlining long-standing questions about whether “the services provided were correct and even if the services should be expanded across the town.”

(Source: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/brunelle-resigns/)

The article states the department lost 4 of 5 officers and began contracting for police services with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department after the 5th officer resigned in September, 2018. The OCSD contract was for 120 hours per week, equivalent to 3 full-time officers working full-time. This substantially reduced the cost of police coverage for the next few years, until the OCSD contract was canceled in 2023.

The OCSD reported responding to 300 calls from July - September 2018, and making approximately 20-25 arrests in the same period. That translates to roughly 1,200 calls and 100 arrests per year. At the time, Randolph appeared to have lots of options, as “Col. Birmingham has indicated VSP’s willingness to provide Randolph with an offer similar to the one presented to Waterbury.” It appears Randolph also had a contract with OCSD to patrol town roads, as well as provide dispatch services for the fire department.

(Source: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/cop-committee-looks-at-options-will-listen-to-public-next-friday/)

The committee ultimately decided to recommend continuing to provide coverage with OCSD, primarily because OCSD was providing deputies for 120 hours per week, equivalent to 3 full-time officers, compared with 5-6 officers under the former RPD. The committee also determined that Randolph has a “very, very, very low crime rate” which explains why the village doesn’t need 5-6 full-time officers. This also reduced the police budget in half, pleasing resident taxpayers and putting the issue aside until the OCSD contract was canceled.

(Source: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/randolph-selex-hear-police-advice-deal-with-appointments-too/)

In July, 2020 Sheriff Bohnyak reported deputies “in the last year of policing in the Randolph police district, officers stopped over 600 vehicles, issued 120 tickets, wrote over 500 warnings, arrested 49 people (mostly for driving offenses), and performed 175 citizen assists, as well as 114 agency assists.” The number of incidents to which they responded was not specified. This data correlates with the reduced activity reported by RPD during 2023.

Note: The village does not have the criminal activity that used to exist 30 years ago, nor does it have the business that was in part responsible for the activity. That is why 3 full time deputies with the OCSD provided sufficient coverage. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to staff a full time department with only 3 officers. It is also more costly due to economies of scale, as well as severe inflation in the cost of law enforcement, over and above the official rate of inflation.

For more information, see here:

https://randolphpoliceservicesdebate.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-herald-randolph-police-committee.html

Town of Randolph, VT - Village Police District (shaded green)

Randolph Village Police District - History & Population

West Randolph, VT - 1886

 

Randolph Village Police District - History & Population

The village of Randolph used to be known as West Randolph and was first incorporated in 1876, with a total population of about 2,829 residents, primarily residing in the village. This compares to a 2020 village population of 2,102 residents, a decline of 25% compared to 148 years ago. The village police force was established sometime in the 1890’s, when the area was entirely dirt roads and the primary mode of transportation was railroads, horses and wagons. 

Main Street, Randolph, VT circa 1900

The village was densely populated with residents and numerous, thriving businesses all located to take advantage of river water and railroad for manufacturing. The railroad was the major source of transportation for raw materials and finished products until well after the interstate was built in the 1960’s. 

Main Street, Randolph, VT - 1950's

Travel to and from various locations around Randolph was far more difficult when the village was surrounded by dirt roads and farm land. For example, state route 66 was not built until 1951; prior to that, travel between East Randolph, Randolph Center and Randolph village (formerly West Randolph) was arduous and time consuming.  Essentially, people did not travel far from home very often, and most activity was in the village, so there was no need to have local police outside of the village.

Until the 1960’s Randolph village had 5 different grocery stores, in addition to major industrial manufacturing, all in the village.  The P&C grocery store was downtown, in the current location of Rite Aid. Our current grocery store, Shaws, is located south of the village district.

 

Well into the 1970’s and 1980’s, we had more local industry in the village, including Vermont Castings, Branchwood, Ethan Allen and Merrimaids. These were significant manufacturing enterprises, with numerous employees all using the village services. Lamson’s Hardware, Scribner's, The Music Shop, Ben Franklin, The Thomas Shop, Grant’s Pharmacy, August Lion, Victoria’s and The Night Owl were all located on Main Street. Central Supplies had two locations in the village. Finally, the village had Ashley’s Bar, which helped to justify police on duty 24 hours per day. None of these businesses exist downtown today, and the village district is not nearly as busy as it was 40 years ago. We have numerous vacant buildings all over town.

As businesses have expanded and left the village the residential population over the past 40 years has actually declined slightly. The lack of business real estate taxes results in a greater cost burden for remaining area residential properties.

Traditionally, local businesses have a greater interest in maintaining local police coverage, as they have the most to lose. A business may find it difficult to attract quality employees if they do not feel safe where they work. We know the police committee has interviewed local business representatives regarding the need for a local police force, and they are in favor of it. However, they do not get to vote as a business, so they are bound by the decision of residents.

Business in Randolph would benefit from Randolph having a local police force. How much would business suffer without a local police force?

Randolph High School, Main Street (now Dubois & King offices)

Randolph Town & Village Population

Historically, Randolph Town and Village have seen essentially zero population growth over the past 40 years. A lack of growth means a lack of new tax revenue with which we could fund police, roads, water, sewer, schools  and other municipal services. 

From 1970 to 1980, the Randolph town population increased dramatically, to a total of 4,889 residents, a 20% increase in just ten years. The village population grew from 2,115 to 2,215 residents, or 4.6%. Unfortunately, population growth stopped in the 1980's. 

Town of Randolph, VT - Village District Shaded Green on Left

In the year 2000, the census reported a total of 4,853 residents in the Town of Randolph. In 2010, the town of Randolph had a total population of 4,778, while the village had declined to a total population of 1,974. Finally, in 2020, the town of Randolph had a total population of 4,773, while Randolph village had a total population of 2,102, according to the US Census.  

This shows the village population has declined since 1980, while the town population has remained flat. Some estimates predict a continued decline in population over the next ten years.

References & Bibliography

Main Street & Pleasant Street, Randolph, VT

1.    Guidelines for Starting and Operating a New Police Department by US DOJ.

Page 1: "This guide will help public officials and citizens decide whether to start their own police departments and—if they decide to go forward—to offer guidance on how to do it efficiently and effectively. The guide is relevant for rural, suburban, and urban communities of all sizes. It is not meant to be a manual for managing and operating all aspects of a police agency because the decisions and issues discussed require a great deal of additional consideration and work. But the guide can be a valuable tool to assist communities in thoughtfully considering the major issues involved in starting a police department."

2.    Vermont Incorporated Villages/ A Vanishing Institution by Edward T. Howe, 2005.

From the article: "Towns have traditionally served as the basic unit of organized local government in Vermont since the first town (Bennington) was chartered in the future state in 1749. Given that town governments would not, or could not afford to, offer certain public services in densely populated areas, a new governmental unit—the incorporated village—was created in the early nineteenth century. The formation of incorporated villages continued throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, though by the 1930s village incorporations had become a rare event. By the mid-twentieth century the process of incorporating villages had ceased, but a new phase in the history of these villages was becoming more evi- dent: mergers with towns."

3.    Randolph, Vermont: Historical Sketches to which are Added Personal Reminiscences of the Author by Harry H. Cooley, 1978.

4.    The Illustrated Historical Souvenir of Randolph, Vermont By Nickerson & Cox, 1895.

5.    Early Photographs of Randolph, Vermont, 1855-1948 by Wes Herwig, 1985.

6.    Potash and Pine: The Formative Years in Randolph History by Leigh Wright, 1977.

7.    The History of Braintree, Vermont by Henry Royce Bass, 1883.

8.   List of all Herald Articles used in this blog:

https://randolphpoliceservicesdebate.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-herald-randolph-police-committee.html

9.    Local Police Departments Personnel, 2020 by Sean E. Goodison, DOJ

Comparison to Vermont Towns Similar to Randolph

Town/Village Comparisons

Please note: the information presented about towns in this section was reliable as of July, 2023, unless otherwise noted, and is subject to change, errors, and omissions.

Northfield recently went through a process similar to the process in which Randolph is currently engaged.  The town and village merged in 2014 so the entire town now pays for police coverage. Prior to 2014, the Northfield village properties paid an additional tax for the police department, yet the department covered the village and town without exception. 

The village of Northfield, VT had a 2020 population of 3,757 while the entire town had a total 2020 population of 5,918. As of December 2023, Northfield Police Chief Gomez reports they currently employ a total of 3 full time officers, with 1 part-time, 1 on military leave and 1 entering the academy, not including the Chief.

In Waterbury, the local police force was disbanded in 2018 when the town and village merged into the Town of Waterbury. The Town contracted with the Vermont State Police to provide 2 officers on a full-time basis. This arrangement is ongoing. The town population in 2020 was 5,331, with a village population of 1,801 (as of 2018). 

(source: https://www.waterburyvt.com/departments/safety)

In Vernon, the local police force was closed in 2012 after the closing of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. There is no longer a local police force in Vernon, a town of 2,192 residents.

There are smaller towns in Vermont that maintain a significant local police force, and this is due to the concentration of businesses in these areas. For example, the town of Vergennes has a population of 2,553 and funds a police force with 8 officers. However, Vergennes is in a high traffic area, with lots of daily commuters, a vibrant, active downtown, and lots of employers.

In Berlin, the population is only 2,849 but the town maintains a police force of 9 officers, presumably to cover the numerous businesses along the Barre-Montpelier Road. Berlin has an extremely high crime index of 288.3, higher than the national average, so this seems justified.

In Hardwick, the town and village merged in 1988, and the town now has a police force consisting of 4 full time officers, 3 part time officers and a chief of police. The town in 2020 had a total population of only 2,920 residents, with a crime index of 119.6. This compares to an average crime index for Randolph between 2006 and 2017 of 56.6 for the 11 year period. The local data compares to an average crime index of 270.6 for the entire United States. 

There appears to be more crime in Hardwick and the size of the force appears justified. The  Hardwick chief of police reports the number of officers in Hardwick is the minimum necessary to provide 24/7 coverage, training, peak hours and down time.

In 2022, the Hardwick Police Department spent a total of $742,421 on police services for the town, less than the budget amount of $825,884 due to unfilled positions and staff turnover. The budget for 2023/24 is a total of $854,401. 

(source: https://hardwickvt.gov/government/town-clerk/town-reports/)

The town of Greensboro, VT had a contract with the Hardwick Police Department to provide services for years. In 2020, contract renewal negotiations broke down over the future costs of services to be provided, and the result is Greensboro now as a contract with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department as of March, 2021, see here:

https://greensborovt.org/message-from-greensboros-selectboard-about-the-change-in-police-services/)

In July 2021 in Georgia, VT the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department canceled a contract for services with 10 months remaining after negotiations to renew the contract broke down over costs increases for the new year. The existing contract rate was $45.15 per hour, the new rate was proposed to be $67.30 per hour, for 40 patrol hours per week, an increase of at least $46,000 per year. Georgia had a total 2020 population of 4,845 residents. 

(source:https://vtdigger.org/2021/07/07/franklin-county-sheriff-pulls-out-of-policing-services-in-town-of-georgia/)

West Rutland has a population of 2,214 and maintains a contract with the Rutland County Sheriff’s Office for police coverage totaling roughly 40 hours per week, according to the West Rutland Town Manager. She reports West Rutland used to have a small department but found they could no longer afford it. They have used the Sheriff’s Office for the past 15 or 20 years with good results.

In Richford, VT the town clerk reports the town maintains a contract for services with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for 40 hours per week. The town and village merged about 20 years ago, and now the entire town pays for coverage. It was formerly paid for by the village, similar to Randolph. 

The town of Dorset, VT, with a total of 2,133 residents, completed a public safety collaboration study in April 2015. Residents had complained that coverage historically provided by the Vermont State Police was insufficient. The study recommended that coverage be provided by the Manchester Police Department. I recommend reading this document.

 The PDF file of the study is found here: 

https://dorsetvt.org/uploads/3/5/3/5/35356792/dorset_-_manchester_public_safety_policing_study.pdf

Unfortunately, the Dorset Town Manager reports that despite the recommendation of the report, the town was unable to negotiate an acceptable contract with the Manchester Police Department. The cost of services and length of contract Manchester proposed was deemed excessive by Dorset officials and the contract was never finalized. The town currently has a 1 year renewable contract with the Bennington County Sheriff’s Office to provide 40-50 hours per week of coverage, typically 1 full time officer dedicated to Dorset each week. A contract with VSP is not possible at this time due to VSP staffing issues.

In Danville, the town clerk reports they spend a total of only $5,200 per year on a contract for services with the Caledonia County Sheriff’s Office. With a total population of 2,335 residents, the clerk says they don’t need much police coverage and can’t afford to spend more than they already do. The Danville population is higher than the Randolph village population of 2,044 residents.

In Pownal, with 3,259 residents, the town has both an elected, unpaid constable and a contract with the Bennington County Sheriff’s Office to provide coverage for 40 hours per week. This contract is currently being re-negotiated, and the town is not sure what the future costs will be or if they will be able to afford coverage.

In Sheldon, the town has a 2020 population of 2,136 residents and is currently without police coverage after the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office canceled the former contract which included 15 hours per week at a total cost of $35,000 per year. The contract rate equals roughly $44.87 per hour, based on 780 hours per year. The Sheldon Town Clerk reports the town has been unable to find any police coverage to replace the loss of the Sheriff’s Office contract.

In Woodstock, the total 2020 population of 3,005 residents includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville and West Woodstock. The police force consists of at least 4 full-time officers (including the chief) and 8 part-time officers, plus support staff. 

Woodstock has both a village and town government, and the village used to be taxed for police services that covered only the village, similar to Randolph. There were numerous attempts over the years to expand the village police district to cover the entire town, and the argument was nearly identical to the argument in Randolph. Finally, in 2006, the town voters agreed to contract with the village to provide 40 hours of coverage per week. 

The town of Woodstock continues to have a contract with the village for 40 hours per week of coverage, and 24/7 emergency coverage. The village is therefore paying 60% of the total cost. A contract between Randolph town and village, instead of a merger, may be an option for the committee to study. This could be a model for Randolph to pursue, however, in Randolph the village and town actually merged in 1984 and are now a single entity. That complicates the idea of a town/village police contract, and how to pay for it.

Finally, in Castleton the total 2020 population was 4,458 and the Castleton police force employs a total of 5 full-time officers, with an average crime index of 46.8 thru 2019. The Castleton PD provides services to the communities of Castleton, Hydeville and Bomoseen. The Castleton PD is very close to the size of the Randolph PD until 2017, but it serves a larger area. 

See more here:

https://randolphpoliceservicesdebate.blogspot.com/2023/12/vermont-towns-population-crime-index.html

It is noteworthy that none of the other towns in Vermont have partially expanded the police district.