Preston — After almost a year spent studying alternatives to the resident trooper program, the committee researching the town's policing options recommended the status quo for the time being: maintaining two resident state troopers.

In a presentation during a joint special meeting of the Preston Board of Selectmen and the Emergency Services Advisory Committee, co-chairman of the study group David Paige outlined the six options available to the town before concluding that Preston's current arrangement was the best, leading to a unanimous vote on the study's outcome.

Reducing the number of troopers or eliminating the program would be a regression, they concluded. While interesting proposals came forward from the Norwich and Preston police departments to patrol the town, concerns over the cost or extent of coverage remained with both. The committee, though, recommended continuing to talk with the Ledyard Police Department if circumstances change in the future.

Looming large in the minds of committee members was the development of Preston Riverwalk, which residents will vote on at a referendum Tuesday. The study was delayed once because of the talks with the Mohegan tribe to purchase several hundred acres along the Thames River.

With an outline of possible development but no specifics on the security or the number of people it could draw to town, the town's needs could change drastically and "we felt the state police was best able to deal with (it) because of their flexibility," Paige told the selectmen.

He listed the "surge capability" of the 75 troopers at Troop E in Montville as one of the benefits to being in the resident trooper program, as well as their coordination with the state police's various specialized departments.

Committee members also expressed contentment with the efficiency and continuity of the current state trooper system, in which the resident trooper maintains relationships and works with the town's first selectman and fire chief. They noted the resident trooper could potentially work with the developer of the Riverwalk.

Currently Preston pays for two resident state troopers on different shifts who each work five days out of every eight. The state police also provide a regular patrol that drives through both Preston and North Stonington. Over the past two years the cost has grown from $322,650 up to a projected $414,547 if Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget proposal is approved.

In light of the increased costs, the committee considered a number of different options to alter police services, including eliminating one trooper, reducing to one trooper but adding a local constable, eliminating both troopers and relying on Troop E for emergencies, and then proposals from neighboring Norwich and Ledyard police departments to patrol the town.

The committee concluded that while eliminating one or both troopers would save money, it would represent a step back for public safety in Preston. Adding a constable would also save money, but the town would assume some liability for that officer's actions instead of the state, and there could be a high turnover in that position.

While one of several proposals brought forward by Norwich was attractive at $334,297, and brought with it the city's strong 90-officer department, it lacked a midnight shift and relied upon overtime in a way which the committee felt was a concerning.

"Are you going to run into problems in the future?" Paige said.

Ledyard police offered 24 hours a day coverage by altering the shift patrols to include a Preston patrol and a floating officer, hiring four officers total to accomplish it. Two would be hired on a lower pay scale straight out of the police academy, while another two would be closer to mid-career, and a number of capital costs that included a police cruiser and equipment would be paid for by Preston.

However, the committee "had concerns about the cost," Paige said.

"We recognize the Ledyard department put forth an attractive proposal ... (but) we didn't have time before closing of this budget cycle to dig into it deeply," he added, noting that the committee was unsure Ledyard residents would support expanding the police department as well. "We really had misgivings: could we enter into an agreement and see more costs coming down the road?"

In both arrangements with municipal departments, the committee also worried about the loss of regular state police patrols that Preston shares with North Stonington.

The finance board will be hearing the presentation from the police study on Wednesday, April 19, as part of its decision to reduce the upcoming fiscal year police budget line from two state troopers to one.

n.lynch@theday.com