SAUGUS – During a discussion with the Board of Selectmen, Police Chief James MacKay said many of the issues and incidents his department faces could be solved simply with manpower.”Our department is not big enough to handle the town,” he said. “There aren’t even enough officers for random patrolling. We go from one incident to the next.”MacKay said what the town really needs is visibility – to have officers out in public patrolling and talking with residents – but that isn’t going to happen any time soon.MacKay, along with Lt. Michael Annese sat down with the board last week to discuss problems at the town’s four hot spots: Oasis, Tabu Ultra Lounge and Nightclub, Square One Mall and Roller World. The central thread that ran through every discussion was a lack of manpower.MacKay said one serious accident could tie up an entire shift, which is often comprised of only three to four officers on the street, for an hour or more. That’s when he said he has to reach out to Revere, Wakefield or another community for help.”They’re going to get tired of hearing from us,” he said. “Frankly I’m surprised they haven’t already. We’re wearing out our welcome.”Like the Fire Department, the Police Department relies on mutual aid.MacKay said often when there is a large disturbance such as the fight that was reported at Oasis on April 26, the department is forced to call in the State Police, Lynnfield, Melrose or a combination to back up their officers.Parking lot fights are, in one sense, the least of the town’s problems, however.Police reports indicate a steady growth of gang violence at the mall as well as at area clubs like Tabu and Oasis.Annese said the department handles gang issues by taking advantage of the Shannon Grant, a state funded program aimed at combating gang violence. The grant is shared with seven communities, but Annese said it’s been a lifesaver for the town, which doesn’t have a gang unit of its own.”Lynn has an excellent gang unit that we’ve used on a number of occasions,” MacKay added.MacKay said neither Lynn nor Revere, which also has a gang unit, has ever failed to step up when Saugus has asked for help, but he wonders how long that will last.Selectman Stephen Horlick said given the rising problem with gang violence in the town he thinks it’s only a matter of time before the town has its own unit.Selectman Michael Kelleher didn’t disagree it would be a good thing, but asked how it would be funded.”We’re about five years too late on that,” MacKay said.MacKay said ultimately he would like to see the town institute a program that would add police officers to the roster each year until the department reached full staffing levels.Until that happens MacKay said his officers will continue to trespass delinquents from the mall and chase down incidents and accidents as they occur as best they can.