The City of Haverhill is growing rapidly and, as a result, City Councilor Timothy J. Jordan says plans must to be in place to ensure the police and fire departments do not become overwhelmed by a proliferating population.
Jordan, speaking at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, pointed to some of the city’s recent and planned residential construction projects, and the population increases they will bring, as indicators of the need to beef up both police and fire personnel.
“Some of the impact that this will have on our infrastructure relates to the number of calls that our police and fire departments will need to respond to. We note that our staffing levels are below area cities and towns, so we’re already behind the curve. It seems with this additional housing going in, it’s going to exacerbate the problem that we already have,” he said.
Councilor John A. Michitson echoed his colleague’s assessment, directing his comments to Mayor James J. Fiorentini, asking him to meet with the Council to find a way to work the issue into the budget.