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BRATTLEBORO â The Select Board voted 3-2 to level fund police training for the fiscal year 2022 budget, as recommended by a recent report about improving community safety, rather than going with a 48 percent increase as proposed by the interim police chief.
Commissioned by the town and released Jan. 1, the 224-page report says needs should be assessed before investing further in training and community members with lived experience should be consulted. At the board meeting held remotely Tuesday, which at one point had 88 participants, interim Police Chief Mark Carignan said he wanted extra funds for training on diversity, equity, inclusion and de-escalation, but also to hire local subject matter experts to advise in making the sessions more effective.