NEPBA Statement in Support of the Westborough Police Department
Dec 10, 2025
The New England Police Benevolent Association stands firmly with the men and women of the Westborough Police Department, who continue to serve their community with professionalism and dedication despite a staffing crisis and longstanding pay inequities that place Westborough far behind its neighboring communities.
Since the fall of 2024, the department has experienced an alarming loss of personnel. Thirteen officers have left the Westborough Police Department, many due directly to pay concerns. These departures include experienced officers who lateraled into Westborough but ultimately returned to their prior agencies because compensation elsewhere was significantly more competitive. Westborough has lost officers to Millbury PD, the Massachusetts State Police, Foxborough PD, Charlton PD, Chelmsford PD, Millis PD, Falmouth PD, Uxbridge PD, UMass, and Maine State Police.
The Town itself provided a list of comparable departments, and based on that very data, Westborough ranks in the bottom third for compensation. These pay inequities have existed for years and continue to hinder the department’s ability to retain and recruit qualified officers. As a result, remaining officers are stretched thin and forced to cover unfilled shifts to maintain minimum staffing levels, and the department is unable to attract experienced candidates because the compensation structure is not competitive.
Additionally, it is common practice across Massachusetts for police departments to receive compensation for the use and responsibility of wearing body-worn cameras. Westborough officers have voluntarily worn these cameras for five years without any salary adjustment, despite the added accountability, workload, and expectations placed upon them. This absence of compensation is inconsistent with trends seen in departments statewide.
This most recent negotiation cycle follows a contract already marked by significant pay inequities when compared to surrounding communities. Those disparities remain a driving factor behind officer departures and ongoing recruitment challenges.
The NEPBA urges the Town of Westborough to recognize the seriousness of this staffing and compensation crisis. Thirteen officers leaving a department of this size is not a routine fluctuation, it is a clear indicator that the structure currently in place is unsustainable. Public safety depends on a stable, well-supported police force, and Westborough’s officers deserve nothing less.
Westborough officers have remained steadfast in their commitment to the community. It is now time for the Town to demonstrate that same commitment by ensuring its police department is compensated fairly, supported properly, and positioned to recruit and retain the highly qualified professionals its residents expect and deserve.
