Community Corner

Cheshire, Southington Come to Mutual Service Agreement

An agreement approved last week between the towns of Cheshire and Southington will allow police officers from each department to work construction jobs in the other's towns.

The Cheshire Town Council approved the mutual services agreement Tuesday, saying that the regional cooperation will benefit both municipalities.

The agreement differs from a mutual aid agreement, which is a common arrangement between cities and towns to provide backup during times of emergencies. 

The mutual services agreement pertains only to non-emergency road jobs where a company is required to hire a police office to direct traffic and maintain public safety in the area of the project.

The towns are not responsible for paying the officers -- that responsibility fall on the company that is hiring the extra help. The salary the officer earns also does not count toward his pension, town officials said.

When an officer is working a job in the neighboring town, they retain their police powers to arrest and respond to occurrences, town officials said.


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