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Mayors from across the Granite State, as well as the entire Manchester Board of Aldermen, are joining in a bipartisan push and are backing Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s call to reform bail. 

“This is not a partisan issue, it’s a safety issue, and the safety of our cities is non-negotiable,” Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais said.

Rochester Mayor Paul Callaghan, Claremont Mayor Dale Girard, Dover Mayor Robert Carrier, Keene Mayor Jay Kahn, Berlin Mayor Robert Cone, Franklin Mayor Desiree McLaughlin, and Concord Mayor Byron Champlin joined Ruais in a letter to House Speaker Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) and Senate President Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) urging action on bail reform.

“Our citizens, businesses and tourists deserve our best efforts when it comes to keeping our streets safe,” the mayors wrote.

Ayotte has made fixing the bail system a top priority since taking office. She wants to see the 2018 attempt at bail reform, which made it easier for suspects to get released without posting cash bail, rolled back.

“Our current system is a joke to criminals. Too often, offenders are back on the street before officers who arrested them have even finished filing their paperwork. Our law enforcement officers and the public deserve better than this. The safest state in the nation deserves better than this,” Ayotte said.

In an op-ed for NHJournal, Ayotte pledged that, if the current bail reform proposal doesn’t make it to her desk, she will get it done anyway. The governor is putting bail reform into House Bill 2, the state budget trailer, to make sure it passes.

Manchester’s Board of Aldermen says the 2018 law reforming bail has had disastrous consequences for the city. In 2024, Manchester Police arrested 2,971 adults in 4,551 incidents. That’s because 27 percent of people arrested in Manchester last year were arrested more than once. Of the individuals arrested, 24 percent of them, or 715 people, were already out on bail at the time of their arrest.

“We understand the good intentions behind the previous changes to our bail laws. However, those good intentions have been replaced by criminal acts … When individuals are not held accountable for their actions, it encourages more bad behavior,” the Aldermen said in a statement.

Manchester became ground zero for the bail reform debate last month when Kyle Bisson, 25, was released on personal recognizance bail after he repeatedly stabbed another man in an Elm Street confrontation. Bisson has a criminal record, including a prior assault conviction, but he was not out on bail when he was arrested for the Feb. 7 fight. Manchester’s Police prosecutor did not request cash bail at Bisson’s initial bail hearing.

Cities and towns throughout New Hampshire are already struggling to hire police officers, leaving those they do have overworked. The revolving door bail system is only making the staffing and morale problems worse, the mayors said in their letter.

“This problem compounds itself when criminals cycle through a process of arrest and release, only to be arrested again,” the mayors said.

People just want safe cities again, Ruais added. 

“We need to focus on making sure violent and repeat offenders are taken off our streets,” Ruais said. “We are counting on the legislature to do the right thing, which will go a long way to making all Granite Staters safer, regardless of where they live.”

Authorities are offering few details about what happened last weekend when GOP lawyer Alex Talcott was stabbed in the neck and killed, a story that has rocked his fellow Republicans across the state.

Police found Talcott, 41, dead inside his Bennett Road home in Durham during the early morning hours Saturday after being called there, according to statements released by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. The official autopsy confirmed on Sunday that Talcott’s death was a homicide.

No one has been taken into custody since Attorney General John Formella’s Sunday statement, though investigators seem to know who killed Talcott. And whoever the killer might be, it is possible they may not face charges in the killing.

“The parties involved in the incident have been identified, and based on the information known to investigators, there is no danger to the public. The investigation into Talcott’s death is ongoing and includes whether the person who stabbed Talcott acted in self-defense.”

Under New Hampshire law, a person may claim self-defense when faced with an aggressor who reasonably poses a deadly threat to that person or a third party. If self-defense is deemed justified, criminal charges are not filed.

Matt Mowers, who’s been both a GOP consultant and candidate, knew Talcott well, and he told NHJournal the news “left us all shocked.” Mowers took to social media after the news broke:

“Incredibly sad news. Alex and I were just talking the other day. He was the kind of friend who was there for you in the tough times as well as the good times.”

Talcott lived at the home with his wife, Kristin Talcott, and their three young children. Kristin Talcott did not respond to a message left by NHJournal.

Kristin and Alex Talcott both graduated from Dartmouth College. Alex Talcott entered corporate law and was CEO of New Constellation Capital Residential Real Estate and Venture Capital Investing. He also worked as an adjunct business law and finance instructor at the University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics for many years.

A long-time GOP activist, Alex Talcott briefly ran for state representative in Carroll County in 2022 though his name did not appear on the ballot. He was remembered fondly by many in the state party, including former House Speaker William O’Brien, state director of the New Hampshire chapter of the Republican National Lawyers Association.

O’Brien told NBC 10 Boston that Talcott was a skilled lawyer and advocate.

“Within the RNLA, his leadership was unwavering in promoting our shared values, ensuring every member felt empowered and well-prepared,” O’Brien said. “We will forever honor Alex’s selfless dedication and profound contributions to our shared vision of liberty through legal processes.”

Talcott was also one of the regulars on the GOP’s Election Day legal response team.

Chris Ager, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee and Alex Talcott’s friend, told WMUR that Talcott was always ready to pitch in on behalf of the party.

“He came to me many times just asking, ‘Hey Chris, how can I help?’ Never asking for anything in return. He was that kind of person. We’re really going to miss him a lot,” Ager said.

Alex Talcott won accolades from his UNH students on Rate My Professor, who considered his class easy.

“Easy A! two exams. don’t have to go to lectures even though you should cus their [sic] interesting and he gives very good advice! You know he is a smart guy and super personable. Take any of his classes!” one student wrote.

Kristin Talcott built a career as a clinical social worker and therapist. She taught graduate-level social work classes at Simmons College and built her own practice specializing in anxiety, depression, and helping people with trauma. The couple have two daughters and a son. 

The investigation into Alex Talcott’s death is active. Formella’s office has not said when the investigation’s results will be released.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The story has been updated to add more context to Talcott’s brief bid for state representative in 2022.