KYLE SHOEMAKER
SOUTHWICK – Kyle Shoemaker, a part-time Granville Police officer, could be Southwick’s next reserve officer.
Shoemaker was interviewed Tuesday by Southwick Select Board members who asked a series of questions while Southwick Police Chief Kevin A. Bishop listened.
Shoemaker was asked if there was a time when he had to make a quick decision under stress.
“There was a time when I was in pursuit of a vehicle and it wasn’t safe, so I called it off,” Shoemaker said, noting that speed on Granville’s windy roads were both factors in his decision. “I had to make the call for what was safe for everyone.”
When asked about how he handled disputes with supervisors or fellow officers, Shoemaker said he had no issues.
“I haven’t really had any issues with supervisors,” he said. “They’re my boss and what they say goes.”
Shoemaker told the Select Board that his career plans included becoming a full-time Southwick Police officer. He added he hoped to learn more as a reserve officer so he was well positioned to be hired for future openings within the department.
“I’m a people person, a good listener and I learn fast,” he said of his strengths.
When asked about a police officer’s most important role, Shoemaker said how an officer conducts him or herself “says a lot.”
For example, Shoemaker said when pulling over a vehicle, he treats the occupants as human beings first, not as criminals.
Bishop was asked if Shoemaker could hold police positions in two different towns. Bishop said he could and that he had been in contact with the Granville chief who had no concerns about Shoemaker joining the SPD.
Shoemaker said he works one six-hour shift in Granville because of budget restraints and is also a real estate agent. Shoemaker began working as a reserve officer for the Town of West Springfield in 2005 prior to working with Granville Police.
