BELCHERTOWN – Supporters of an in-house candidate for Belchertown police chief greeted news Monday that he’d been passed over with shouts and allegations of impropriety.
A search committee charged with reviewing applicants for chief of police to replace Francis Fox Jr. forwarded the names of three finalists to the Select Board on Monday night. Fox resigned last fall after revelations that he appeared to have been driving while drunk in Granby.
None of the finalists serve on the Belchertown Police, prompting heated words for the committee from supporters of Sgt. Kevin Pacunas, the only internal candidate.
The finalists are Lt. Mark Saloio, who serves in Sturbridge, Lt. Robert Powers of the Northampton Police and Capt. Christopher Pronovost of the Amherst Police.
The search committee reviewed 31 applications, according to its chairman, Jerry Grasso. They invited 12 of those for interviews though one, Belchertown Lt. Steven Henn, withdrew his application midway through the process. All three finalists received the unanimous support of the nine-member search committee, said Grasso.
Henn, who heads the Belchertown Police Union, said Pacunas, who has lived in town for 35 years, should have been a finalist based on his dedication to the community. “The message you are sending is thanks for your dedication but we are going to give the top spot to someone from out of town,” he said.
About 50 people attended the meeting, which lasted about two hours.
Henn said that most communities in western Massachusetts name police chiefs from among their ranks.
“A new chief is going to have to come in and learn all of our names and learn all of the streets,” said Henn. “Kevin Pacunas has a 20-year head start” on anyone coming in from out of town.
Henn asked Grasso whether the decision to bring in someone from the outside was related to the circumstances under which Fox resigned.
“We made our decision based on who we thought would be best for the job,” said Grasso. “None of us ever considered what happened to the last chief.”
Select Board Chairman Ronald Aponte praised the search committee, which included three current or former police officers from other jurisdictions as well as educators, clergy and town employees. “They all had strong personalities who wouldn’t be bullied into voting one way or another.”
In a divided decision, the Select Board voted 3-2 to accept the three candidates chosen by the search committee. Members George “Archie” Archible and William Barnett opposed the motion, instead advocating that the board interview Pacunas along with the finalists chosen by the search committee.
Voting in the majority were Aponte, Brenda Aldrich and Nicholas O’Connor.
Barnett said, “I don’t see any harm (in interviewing Pacunas) if it makes the Police Department happy.”
O’Connor didn’t agree, saying that by interviewing Pacunas the board would be opening itself up to pressure to name him the chief. “I have a feeling that if we didn’t pick officer Pacunas we’d be back here having the same conversation,” he said.
He also expressed concern that if Pacunas were invited to interview with the Select Board they might be skipping over others who the search committee ranked higher but who didn’t get chosen as finalists.
Jeremiah McBride, a part-time Belchertown police officer, said the entire department was upset that the internal candidate they were supporting didn’t make the cut. “Every single one of us feels like we’ve been slapped in the face,” he said.
The Select Board will interview the three finalists in open session on April 8 starting at 6:30 p.m. Members will deliberate and vote on their choice to become the next Belchertown police chief the following week, on April 15, beginning at 7 p.m.
O’Conner said it is possible that none of the finalists will get the nod.
“I am open to going back to the well (of applicants) if none of them fit the bill.”