What are Staffing Levels and why are they Important?
Simply put, staffing levels are the number of officers working in front-line patrol assignments at any given time.
Those numbers directly reflect the number of officers on the street responding to calls, the officer assigned to the desk at the south end station, the officer assigned to the Central Records Bureau at Headquarters, as well as the supervisors who oversee those officers.
The collective bargaining agreement between the City of New Bedford and the New Bedford Police Union outlines how many officers and supervisors should be assigned to each shift.
Why is this important?
The number of officers working is important because when less officers are responsible for more calls for service, it may result in potential delays with police response.
Overall, allowing the New Bedford Police Department to operate with less officers on the street may result in a potential decrease in the expected level of service promised by city officials.
We will do our best to keep the public informed when city officials allow the department to operate with less officers on the street. Our goal is to inform, but also maintain the safety of the public as well as the officers on the street.
Because of that, any notification regarding the NBPD operating at decreased staffing levels will be done at the end of each day.
What do you think about having less officers on the street?
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