Despite encouragement from union leaders, the Select Board declined to state a position or preference for an internal or external candidate in the police chief selection process.
“I think this job is too important to hire anybody except for the best candidate,” said Select Board Vice Chair Taylor Yates. “If that person happens to be internal, great. If they’re external, that’s fine, too. Jamie [MacIsaac] proved his value so many times and I think it was because he went through a process where they were just looking for the best candidate – and he happened to be internal.”
The search for a new police chief follows the resignation in August of former Police Chief James MacIsaac, who had been with the department in various roles since 1990. The Select Board appointed then-Assistant Police Chief Mark Hurley as the interim chief. Hurley’s appointment was effective Aug. 25.
In October, John Parow of John Parow Consulting & Associates was selected from the two bids received by the town. The Select Board agreed to a contract of $11,800, making Parow’s firm the low bidder. The one competitor, Municipal Resources Inc. (MRI), submitted a $13,700 bid.
Six people representing Belmont’s different demographics, plus an area police chief, were recently named to serve on the screening committee.
Speaking before the Select Board Monday night, Belmont Police Sergeant Michael Pelrine emphasized the importance of “critical institutional knowledge” and “readiness.”
“An internal chief will already know, for example, that Wednesdays in Belmont Center are full of kids out of school early, or that cut-through traffic is one of the biggest issues that our town faces,” said Pelrine, president of the Belmont Police Superior Officers Association.
He said the department’s command staff has a strong sense of community, given their long relationship with the town.
“Retaining these critical skills and assets is imperative at this time of great challenge within our department, our community, and our nation,” he said.
Officer Marco D’Andrea echoed Pelrine, adding that choosing an internal candidate demonstrates the opportunity for advancement within the department. In the past two years, he said, the department has added eight new officers. And while there have been some successes in improving staff diversity, the department won’t be able to sustain that pattern without a commitment to offering opportunities for growth.
“A critical aspect of retaining these new officers, as well as existing, highly talented staff, is that there are advancement opportunities within the department,” D’Andrea said. “In a small department such as ours, advancement opportunities are fewer and farther between than in large departments in the area, such as Burlington, Cambridge, or Waltham. As such, it is critical that each opportunity for growth be retained.”
Still, board members were hesitant to state a preference for an internal or external candidate.
“I’m not coming in with any preconceived notions,” said Select Board member Elizabeth Dionne. “My hope is [that] the best candidate will be obvious.”
An earlier version of this article misidentified the speaker of a quote. Sergeant Michael Pelrine spoke at the Select Board meeting.
