Mansfield will soon be adding another resident state trooper to its ranks.
Trooper Stephen King, who currently serves at the Troop C Barracks, will join the Mansfield Resident State Trooper’s Office in July.
The addition of King will bring the town’s patrol staffing to one sergeant and nine full-time state troopers.
King has joined the force in response to , which calls for four additional troopers over the next few years, Sgt. Richard Cournoyer of Mansfield’s Resident State Trooper’s Office said.
After years of focus groups, interviews and surveys, it was determined that Mansfield residents had a “community policing vision characterized by having coverage in Mansfield 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” according to study results.
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Starting next month, King will be utilized during the evening shift, which will bring the office’s patrol strength to three full-time troopers and a sergeant during the day shift, four full-time troopers during the evening shift, and two full-time troopers during the midnight shift, with two part-time officers as needed, Cournoyer said.
“These are levels that the town has never seen before,” Cournoyer said.
Mansfield’s vision also required officers that are “sensitive to the unique needs of the Town,” and who will respond in a timely manner in the event of an emergency as well as non-emergencies, according to study results.
“We believe that the [Enhanced Trooper Model] will certainly address any and all the issues that were brought up during the Police Services Study,” Cournoyer said.
Adding four additional troopers will bring the cost of resident state troopers for Mansfield to $1,158,800, an increase of $352,800, over the current year. A total Police Service budget would come in at $1,303,750 based on current expenditures, according to town documents.
“The long term goal with this Enhanced Trooper Model is to have three full-time troopers 100 percent of the time,” Cournoyer said.
“We’re confident that the additional resources will be appropriate as the Storrs downtown project grows,” he said. “We’re confident that we can handle this to the satisfaction of the community.”
The study was prepared by Management Partners, Inc. and the Police Executives Research Forum. Click on the attached PDF file above to review the survey in full.
