Interim Town Administrator Joshua Garcia and Selectmen Cara Letendre, Eric McVey and William Levakis at Monday’s meeting. (Photo by Amy Porter)
BLANDFORD – In the two weeks since the resignation of the Blandford police department, the response to the posting for a temporary police chief has been good. At Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, interim town administrator Joshua Garcia said he has received more than ten resumes so far, from as far away as Boston and New York City.
He’s also had many inquiries for part-time police officers, but Garcia has told them the town wants to hire a chief first.
Cara Letendre, who chairs the board, asked whether they should reconvene the committee that reviewed town administrator applications. Garcia’s position ends August 31, and negotiations are currently being conducted with the top selection from the search committee for the TA position.
Selectman William Levakis said he thought the interim TA should vet the resumes, and come up with the top three candidates. Levakis also offered to help with that process. Letendre said she also knew a qualified resident that could be called on to assist in the vetting process. The selectmen agreed, and planned to consider the top three candidates at their next regular meeting on August 27.
Letendre said that Chester Police Chief Dan Ilnicky has offered to give the town hours every two weeks for residents seeking firearms identification cards and license to carry permits in the interim, and that she would be meeting with him next week. Prior to the resignations, the towns of Blandford and Chester had been discussing the possibility of sharing police forces.
Selectman Eric McVey said he was asked for the information that day, and gets questions two to three times a week about how to obtain permits.
Also present at the meeting were deputy sheriffs from Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi’s department. The deputies were sent to make sure the meeting, which was packed with residents, was orderly.
Hampden Country Deputy Sheriffs Frank Ott and Barry W. Ross. (Photo by Amy Porter)
McVey said that on July 30, the night that Blandford temporary police chief Roberta Sarnacki and the three part-time police officers on the force resigned, Sheriff Cocchi called Selectman McVey.
“(That) Monday night, we were in executive session and the phone starts ringing. We didn’t know what was going on,” McVey said. He said Sheriff Cocchi immediately offered his help, and asked for the town’s permission to send six deputy sheriffs. “It’s important from a town perspective that he offered, and asked our permission,” McVey said, visibly moved while talking about the incident.
Letendre then read a letter from the town to Sheriff Cocchi thanking him and the department for their invaluable service; one she said that they didn’t even know existed.
“The Sheriff is responsible for the county. If one of the communities needs help, he’s the type to reach out to in need. In the beginning, we wanted to have a police presence,” said Deputy Sheriff Barry W. Ross, who attended the meeting on Monday. He said the Sheriff has a group of deputies that are law enforcement trained. Six were sent to Blandford the first night, two shifts of four the next night, and after that, two shifts of two for a week. Ross, who is retired from the FBI and now works for the Sheriff’s department as an investigator, was one of the officers sent to Blandford.
“There was a great effort between the Sheriff’s office and the state police; a great cooperation,” said Captain Frank Ott, who serves on the Western Mass. Gang Task Force for the Sheriff’s department, and also responded to the need in Blandford. Ott said on the FBI gang unit, they work with the state police all the time.
Although the Sheriff’s department has pulled back, the state police from the Russell barracks and the Chester police force are currently providing coverage to the town.
