Bill Passes House, Allows Police Officers To Transfer Departments

Montville and police lieutenant Leonard Bunnell oppose the bill, which the House of Representatives passed last week, that would allow police officers the ability to transfer to another municipal department in the state without the need to return to the academy for basic training, including a physical agility test.  

“This is a very bad ‘bill’, said Bunnell in an email. “The existing one, which requires a three year employment window, was created for good reason.”

Bunnell said that small towns often lose officers to towns with more money and opportunity for advancement. He said that thanks to the current statute, Montville has not lost an officer to another town in six years.

Jaskiewicz doesn’t agree with the bill either. He said that the town invests in officers’ training and certification so this bill increases the potential for towns to reap the rewards of another town’s investment.

Bunnell said the town pays about $36,000 in salary alone during the one-year testing, training, and certification process for each new hire. The equipment and uniforms cost an additional $3,000 according to Bunnell.

Remaining eligibility requirements including a physical, background check, credit check and polygraph test stay in place.  The bill would also remove the two-year service requirement before an officer could take a job in another department.   It will be reduced to approximately one year following an officer’s certification through the academy and field training.

State Rep. Stephen Dargan, a Democrat who represents West Haven and House Chairman of the Public Safety and Security Committee, was successful in getting the bill passed with an amendment that removes the need for a physical agility test to qualify for a transfer, while maintaining most other vetting procedures.

“I don’t agree with that,” said Mayor Joseph Jaskiewicz of the proposal. “You’re taking a chance by not performing the agility test.”

Jaskiewicz said the town is liable when harm comes to an on-duty police officer. He said if the town hires a police officer who can’t run quickly, for instance, the town would be accountable if that officer could not escape a threatening situation.

 State Rep. Joe Verrengia, a Democrat who represents West Hartford, is a police officer in West Hartford. He feels the bill is a fair compromise.

“This bill is not about poaching officers away from departments,” said Rep. Verrengia.  “It’s about creating the ability to acquire a qualified police force.”

State Rep. Jeff Berger, a Democrat representing Waterbury and a former police officer co-sponsored the bill.

The bill moves on to the Senate for consideration but Bunnell said that the advantages of having a police officer stay in one town are obvious.

"The longer an officer remains in one town, the more familiar they become with their surroundings," he said. "That in itself is a benefit to the town and the organization."