Police Chief: Cut Our Budget and Lawrence Will Creep In

Police Chief Richard Stanley doesn't mince words. And Tuesday night, he offered selectmen a dire scenario in response to their proposed Police Department budget cuts.

“We’ve worked so hard to keep this town in the shape its in, and we have the illustrious city of Lawrence right over there, creeping into town, affecting our lifestyle in North Andover with the murders, shootings, stabbings on a nightly basis,” Stanley said. “If you want to see what is going on, Lawrence creeping into North Andover as it already has, then keep cutting the budget.”

Town Manager Mark Rees has proposed a $53.3 million budget for 2012, which cuts the operating budget by 1 percent from this year -- more than $500,000 in cuts -- and includes more than $80,000 in cuts to the Police Department's budget.

"This budget is not workable," Stanley said as he went down his list of grievances, pointing out the rising cost of fuel for the police vehicles as well as the fact that he has already kept a tight handle on overtime. He also noted that several of the town's police vehicles have more than 100,000 miles on it, and the department is already running on minimum staff.

His only option with the proposed 2012 budget, he said, will be to make line-item transfers from other funds to keep the department operating. And he pointed to nearby communities experiencing a spike in crime as a consequence of cutting police services.

"It's no accident that this town isn't having the same problems as other towns," Stanley said. "If something happens to you, you’re better off being in Andover or North Andover. We need to call a spade a spade, and we can’t be dancing around. It’s a bunch of baloney to think you don’t get what you pay for."