Staffing shortages within the Montgomery Police Department have prompted concerns from the department’s Police Benevolent Association and Police Chief John Hank, who say vacancies and proposed budget decisions could further strain patrol operations and supervision.

The Montgomery Police Benevolent Association outlined its concerns in a Sept. 23 post on social media. The comments attributed to the PBA in this story are based on that Facebook post. Members of the PBA did not respond to direct requests for comment from the Wallkill Valley Times.

According to the PBA, the department has been “operating at minimum staffing levels” for several years. The union said the department has vacant supervisory positions and reduced dispatcher coverage, while most of the town’s part-time officers have been assigned as school resource officers, reducing the number of officers available for patrol.

The PBA also said the Town Board is considering eliminating vacant dispatcher positions and the salary associated with a vacant sergeant position from the budget.

The department currently has a vacant full-time police officer position and a vacant sergeant position. Hank has said he has requested that the town hire two additional full-time officers. According to the PBA, those requests have repeatedly been denied for financial reasons.

Hank said Sept. 29 that staffing has been a concern for the department for years, including before his tenure as chief.

“With the Town’s decision not to promote an officer into the vacant sergeant position, there will be a significant gap in patrol supervision,” Hank said. “Additionally, failing to fill the vacant full-time police officer position will result in patrol operations functioning at minimum staffing levels even more frequently than they already do.”

Hank also pointed to the department’s efforts to address overnight patrol coverage.

Historically, part-time officers have rarely volunteered for overnight shifts, he said, forcing the department to rely on overtime to maintain coverage. In response, two full-time positions were assigned to the night tour, reducing the need for overtime and improving operational stability.

“With the current vacancy, the department is now losing one of those positions, reversing some of the progress that had been made in addressing overnight staffing concerns,” Hank said. “This will place additional strain on patrol operations and further increase the challenges associated with maintaining adequate staffing levels and supervisory oversight.”

The PBA said staffing shortages can result in longer response times, less patrol and police presence, reduced investigative and supervisory capacity, increased workloads for remaining officers and fewer opportunities for proactive policing and community engagement.

The organization also raised concerns about dispatcher coverage, saying fewer dispatchers reduces residents’ access to the police station.

The PBA said its members have raised staffing concerns with the town for years and have remained “professional and patient.” The group said it has become increasingly dissatisfied with the Town Board’s handling of the issue and argued that cutting positions or services would be detrimental to residents and police officers.

The PBA also criticized what it described as a disparity between the town’s investment in plans for a new police station and its approach to staffing the existing department.

The organization said the town has devoted significant time and money to planning a new police station but has been neglectful “when it comes time to adequately staff the police department, fill a vacancy, maintain proper supervision, and keep the police department accessible to the public.”

The PBA is encouraging residents to attend the Town Board’s Oct. 7 meeting to ask questions and voice concerns about police staffing. It wants the board to explain its decisions and consider a plan addressing staffing and long-term stability within the department.

Town Supervisor Steve Brescia declined to comment.