Hamden police station fully staffed for the first time in ten years

HAMDEN, Connecticut (WTNH) – Thunderous applause echoed through the rotunda of Hamden City Hall Friday as four new officers took the oath of office for the city’s police force.

“It’s an honor to be one of the final four to witness this historic moment,” said 38-year-old Travis Hargrove.

This historic moment, said Police Chief Edward Page Reynolds, is that the Hamden Police Department is now fully staffed for the first time in a decade.

“It just enhances our ability to connect with the community and engage with them in a very meaningful way,” Reynolds said.

Hamden currently has 103 sworn officers.

Mayor Lauren Garrett said the city has hired 41 officers since she took office in December 2021, and Hamden is bucking a trend that continues to worry many departments across the country.

“It’s unusual for a police department to be fully staffed these days,” Garrett said. “We’ve done a lot of work and a lot of collaboration to get here.”

Officials said the collaboration would help ensure the department is adequately staffed.

“We will be able to deploy other, more experienced officers in specialized departments, for example in the transport sector,” said Reynolds.

Reynolds said about 30 percent of Hamden’s police force is made up of officers transferred from other departments. The other 70 percent are new recruits.

Officials said the four new officers will join three others already enrolled at the academy, with all seven expected to graduate in the fall.