Following concerns raised by newly elected Town Councilor Dan Bouchard during the April 7 meeting, the Town Council received a briefing from Police Chief Kim Bernard regarding traffic issues near Sanborn Road at its most recent meeting.
Bouchard specifically highlighted concerns with traffic at the corner of Rockingham Road and Sanborn Road.
“It’s a safety concern,” Bouchard said previously, noting he has been asked why a police officer is not stationed at the intersection during student drop-off and pick-up times.
Before being elected, Bouchard had also raised the issue during public comment, stating that while he received a “thank you” from a Town Councilor, the Police Chief at the time explained they lacked the manpower and could not guarantee an officer would be available, adding that it could also pose a liability.
During the meeting, Bernard said there have been no complaints from parents, teachers, or the bus company in the past year, and fewer than a handful of accidents at the intersection during school hours over the past five years.
“We haven’t had any fatals thank goodness, we haven’t had any major complaints at all. If this was a complaint, the police department would handle it. If it’s a concern, we look into it. A major issue, we would handle it. I am not up here downplaying the concerns that Mr. Bouchard has brought up in the last two weeks,” Bernard said.
Bernard explained that the police department has four School Resource Officers (SROs) – two voted in by taxpayers and two reassigned from within the department – to cover the schools.
Two SROs respond to the middle school, one to the high school, and two cover the elementary schools.
“We can’t have an SRO at two schools at the same time,” Bernard said.
He noted that while officers assist with traffic control when possible, the department has just three patrol officers on duty during the day, who must prioritize incoming calls.
Bernard also said he does not believe it would be a good use of resources to assign command staff to direct traffic at a cost of more than $50 per hour, particularly after Bouchard expressed that he does not want overtime funds used for that purpose.
Additionally, Bernard noted he spent a lunch hour observing the intersection and did not witness any major issues.
Looking ahead, Bernard said the department is planning to add an additional crossing guard at the start of the next school year. In the meantime, they will continue to monitor the situation and provide assistance when available.
Bouchard said similar traffic issues had previously occurred on Mammoth Road, and that efforts to divert vehicles onto Route 28 have increased traffic volumes in the area.
He also claimed that the bus company told him they eventually stopped raising concerns because no action was taken.
The next Town Council meeting is scheduled for May 5 at 7 p.m.