Alton Selectboard approves police motorcycle purchases, detail rate increase

ALTON — The selectboard approved three police items, including paying off a loan for the department's two motorcycles, bumping up detail rates, and a yearly request for a highway safety grant.

Chief Adam Painchaud and Lt. Bill Tolios met with the selectboard on July 28, about paying off an outstanding loan of $17,000 with Manchester Harley-Davidson for two 2018 police package motorcycles.

Painchaud said Tolios brought to his attention recently that each year, the town is paying $2,700 for each bike, which is mostly interest on the loan. The motorcycles were purchased by now-Town Administrator Ryan Heath, in 2017, when he was police chief.

Heath said Manchester Harley-Davidson had a police lease program for many years, which was unique for police departments who paid a flat fee of $2,700 to receive a brand new motorcycle each year.

Manchester Harley-Davidson was bought out, and Heath said the new ownership did not continue the leasing program. Departments statewide already had motorcycles and investments into outfitting them, however.

While they couldn’t receive new motorcycles yearly anymore, Manchester Harley-Davidson instead turned the arrangement into lease-to-own.

Painchaud said this was done on a “handshake deal,” and Manchester Harley-Davidson has been generous. The town owed $8,500 on each motorcycle, totaling $17,000.

“Right now, with interest, we are just making a lump annual payment towards that, and we’re essentially paying just under $1,000 in interest annually,” Painchaud said.

In the current format, the town pays $2,700 per year on the bikes. Painchaud said this is a chance to save the town thousands of dollars over the next several years. The funds would come from the Police Detail Revolving Account, which currently has about $130,000.

The motorcycles are used frequently, but Painchaud said they are “babied,” and maintenance is done in-house, by officers. The motorcycles have 5,800 and 4,200 miles, respectively, and there are six qualified motorcycle operators. Painchaud said Officer Sean Sullivan is one of the top motorcycle instructors in the state.

The motorcycles, Painchaud said, are used for patrols, special events, and are great for targeted speed enforcement, as they are easy to hide. He also said it is a good motivation tool for officers who want a different way to patrol.

Painchaud said they don’t want to lose the motorcycles, and if they were replaced and bought brand new, they would be $33,000 each, without police upfitting. Tolios said it costs “thousands” to upfit.

Chair Paul LaRochelle asked how long they could be used in their current condition, and Painchaud said he didn’t see why they couldn’t get another 10 years out of them. Selectboard member Jack Sleeper agreed.

“These bikes, I’ve seen over 100,000 on them, so if you take care of them, they go for a ways,” Sleeper said, of the mileage.

Selectboard member Drew Carter said he struggled to see the need for a motorcycle, let alone two, in Alton.

“I just can’t wrap my head around that,” Carter said.

Selectboard member Richard Shea admitted there may have been some pros and cons to how they arrived in that situation, it seemed like the numbers “strongly suggest” this was the right move.

“We have the funds,” Shea said. “We could save the taxpayers a good deal of money. The equipment is going to last for a considerable amount of time.”

The board voted 4-1, with Carter opposed, to proceed with the motorcycle loan payoff.

The selectboard then voted unanimously, 5-0, to approve the Alton Police Department detail rate increase to $75 per officer — a $12 bump — as well as a $24 administrative fee, an increase of $3.

The $21 per hour fee for a cruiser remained the same.

The last time fees were reviewed was 2023, and Painchaud said he doesn't intend to review them again any time soon.

Painchaud said the department receives several calls a week for details, noting they just received one when leaving the police station for the meeting that evening, from BankNH Pavilion in Gilford.

Most requests are for road detail, but they also get called for special events. He said it is common for one or two officers to work details each day. Painchaud said contractors contact the police, they pay a fee, and the residual money, after the officer payout, goes to the Police Detail Revolving Fund, which he called “pretty healthy.”

The department performed a study of current rates, to reevaluate, based on the rest of the state. Prior to the vote, Alton Police officers had $63 per hour paid to them through details.

The state average was about $70 per hour, and other local agencies were similar.

Gilford Police officers make $75 per hour, or $80 if there is alcohol served at the event. Gilmanton officers make $70 per hour, Laconia and New Durham officers make $75 per hour, and Wolfeboro is at $63 per hour. Painchaud expects that department to make an increase request soon. He said the Belknap County Sheriff’s Office is at $65 per hour, and State Police troopers on detail make $72.

Those figures are amounts paid to officers. There is also the administrative hourly rate, increased by $3 with the vote. The cruiser rate, which stayed the same, is charged in most cases.

The change brings the department in line with surrounding agencies, amounting to a total of $120 per hour if a cruiser is used, for a total $15 increase. A four-hour minimum is required.

“I think it’s a reasonable request to get us up, at least on par with everybody else, so we’re not having this conversation every year,” Painchaud said.

Painchaud said while he hasn’t worked a detail in 15 years, there are many who do, after the 40-hour work week is completed. He said officers see the pay in their paycheck on a separate line.

Painchaud also said it is a recruitment and motivational tool for younger officers with a lower hourly wage.

He said police details can be dangerous, and the price is fitting, but he won’t downplay the hourly rate is excellent pay. He said he knew two police officers who were killed while on detail.

“The most dangerous thing we do in general is being on the side of the road with blue lights on, distracted drivers smashing into us, drunk drivers smashing into us,” Painchaud said. “It sounds thankless, and it is sort of, but it’s definitely dangerous work.”

A highway safety grant of $10,500 was approved, which allows police to work targeted patrols, such as stopping people driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“You get a lot out of it,” Painchaud said. “We’re pulling a lot of people off the road that shouldn’t be on the road.”

Painchaud said the grant gives officers a chance to earn overtime funded by the state, with a 25% soft match from the $21 cruiser fee on the previously discussed schedule. Tolios said the wear and tear on the vehicle is the contribution.

The grant was approved with a 5-0 vote.