SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) - The South Hadley Police Department says they are facing staffing shortages as demand increases. The town of South Hadley held a public meeting Wednesday night to review a report meant to address this problem. The Chief of Police, Jennifer Gunderson, says that they are being, "stretched thin," and it's impacting everything from their response time to community outreach. Chief Gunderson raised concerns Wednesday night during a listening session over limited staffing within the department. This is as the town begins its review of a finalized report on the issue--- conducted by Municipal Resources, Inc. of New Hampshire. "The kind of service that we want is also embedded in training, in operations, in policies," says South Hadley Town Administrator Lisa Wong. In the past 20 years, South Hadley's population has grown, but Chief Gunderson says police staffing has remained the same. She reports that since that time, they have seen a decrease in police clearing calls within 30 minutes. They are also dealing with an increase in speeding, physical assaults, narcotics violations, and illegal guns. The need for their services is also changing, from election security to crisis calls. Even their community outreach programs--while successful---are feeling the constraints. "Even if we had the funding to pay officers to come in on their day off, they really don't want to, I want them to have their day off," adds Chief Gunderson. The report recommends that the South Hadley Police Department Hire five additional officers to the staff to focus exclusively on patrolling. Hire additional dispatchers. Fill administrative positions with civilians instead of police. Conduct a community survey in 2025 to assess the level of community satisfaction with police. Consider a needs assessment of the police facility. This is just the beginning of reviewing this report. South Hadley officials are asking for the public's input during this process. Local News Headlines More than 360K early votes cast in Massachusetts Valley Press Club Roast raises funds for journalism students Springfield seeks resident input on improving internet access South Hadley police struggle with staffing shortages WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.