SOUTHWICK POLICE CHIEF KEVIN A. BISHOP
SOUTHWICK- Police Chief Kevin Bishop announced this week that he will be retiring from the position on June 30, 2021.
Chief Bishop sent a letter to the Select Board, which they acknowledged publicly during Tuesday evening’s remote meeting. He first took the job in June, 2018, replacing former Chief David A. Ricardi.
“I can not thank the board enough for giving me this opportunity to serve The Town of Southwick and for the fantastic support you have provided to me over the past two years,” said Bishop in his letter to the Select Board, “I will be leaving with no regrets and will be forever thankful to have served as your Police Chief. I will over the next year work with the board to ensure a smooth transition for my replacement.”
Southwick’s Chief Administration Officer Karl J. Stinehart said during the meeting that Bishop wanted the Select Board to begin thinking about the recruitment process for a new chief and a new officer to fill the staffing void left by Bishop.
“Historically in the past when we have had chiefs or anybody leave the Police Department, [the Select Board] has looked at the reserve corps to get somebody into the academy to maintain staffing levels,” said Stinehart.
Select Board Vice-Chairman Joseph J. Deedy said that he would like to begin the search for a new chief in a couple of weeks.
