Redding Police Offer Two Conditional Contracts

The Redding Police Department has offered two conditional contracts of employment which if fulfilled would increase staff to 17 officers.

According to Chief Douglas Fuchs, both would-be officers—a male and a female—are currently officers elsewhere in the state of Connecticut. There’s still a checklist that needs to be completed before they’d officially join the department.

“They still need to complete a background investigation,” he said, adding they need to take polygraph tests, psychological tests, medical tests, a stress test and a background check.

Because the two would-be officers are already Connecticut officers, Fuchs said they would be able to join the department quicker, as they wouldn't have to go to Police Academy.

Fuchs said four years ago, the department had a staff of 16. Now, the department has added a 16^th and 17^th officer after voters approved those positions earlier this year.

Even with the addition of two officers, Fuchs said the department’s cut of the town’s entire budget remains near four percent, “which has been consistent for the last 15 years.” He said under the resident state trooper program, that number was higher.