HANOVER — Town officials acknowledge they need to take better into account public views on law enforcement and improve how they communicate with the community and stakeholders regarding police actions, but argue the sweeping police response to a pro-Palestinian protest on the Dartmouth Green in May was appropriate against a perceived threat to public safety.

“While we understand there is a concern over handling of the arrests and concerns over safety, the arrests on May 1 were carried out in a lawful and appropriate manner and in response to actions that were deemed to violate state law,” wrote Town Manager Rob Houseman in a four-page report released last week.

The report was in response to public complaints heard in this summer’s “listening session” about the police operation that led to the arrest of 89 people, the majority of them Dartmouth students, on the Green at the time of demonstration.  

“We are reviewing the events leading up to the response actions to include the decision tree and threat assessment process and continue to explore ways to ensure that our mission statement is a key principle guiding out actions,” said Houseman, who wasn’t serving as town manager when the arrests occurred.

The five-member Selectboard will take up the report for the first time at its biweekly meeting on Monday, said Houseman, who was tasked with compiling feedback from the listening session and an online survey. The meeting in the downtown municipal building is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. 

The report was prepared following a forum the board held in August where town officials, joined by Hanover police, attempted to address concerns, answer questions and get public feedback over how police — which included a New Hampshire State Police special operations team — responded to what many viewed as an overly forceful response to the demonstration. 

Although the report acknowledged in several instances the town needed to do better, it did not rebuke itself or criticize police over how they responded to protesters who were peacefully demonstrating but refused calls by Dartmouth security personnel and police to disband.

Of particular public concern, the report noted, had been the “presence of some safety equipment” that police had brought to the scene, which the Town it would “continue to review protocols for future events.”

“We hear that some community members feel diminished safety and sadness over the events of May 1. This is not the image we wish to convey,” the report said, adding that the Town nonetheless had “to balance public safety with community values.”

The August forum elicited both criticism and praise of Hanover police, with critics saying the police response was “heavy-handed” and supporters affirming the police handled the situation appropriately when protesters did not obey commands  to leave.

Citing the need to provide the public with “timely, clear and accurate” information in such situation, the report said the town was exploring “alternate communication strategies” by utilizing “multiple platforms for public notifications,” involving “real-time updates.”

Affirming its support of the right to free speech as well as concern over “hate speech and safety,” Hanover officials vowed to work with “legal experts and community leaders” to draft “clearer guidelines for future protests and public demonstrations that would recognize both “adherence to laws” and “protections of civil liberties.”

The total cost of salaries for Hanover police personnel on May 1 was $5,346, according to the report.

Among the other items on the board’s agenda for Monday is whether to approve the Police Department’s request to reinstate a second police lieutenant position, which has been vacant since 2016 when the officer in the role retired.

The police department said the second lieutenant position would oversee a new “special services division,” that, among other things, would focus on “specialized crimes,” such as fraud and “computer-related cases.”

Hanover police did not specify how much the position would cost but proposes converting a recently vacated detective sergeant position into a lieutenant’s position, calling the moves “critical to support HPD’s professional growth and accreditation efforts.”

The Police Department is also asking the board to “reclassify” the communications coordinator position as director of communications in order to “accurately reflect the responsibilities of the role.”

Contact John Lippman at jlippman@vnews.com.