TURNERS FALLS — Charles “Chip” Dodge voluntarily resigned as Montague’s police chief on Monday.
Dodge will end his employment with the town, but will remain on administrative leave until Feb. 12, 2019. He will have “no active or passive role” with the police department, according to a statement produced by Select Board members and town attorney Timothy Zessin.
Select Board members and Zessin met in executive session for about 20 minutes before producing the statement after the closed session ended. According to the statement, Dodge and Select Board members “mutually agreed” to the resignation.
The termination clause allows Dodge to receive six months of severance pay.
Christopher Bonnett will still serve as acting police chief until the town hires a new chief. At this time, the Select Board could only confirm that it would “begin steps” to find a new chief.
Town officials placed Dodge on paid administrative leave at the end of October 2017, weeks after an Oct. 12 Greenfield Recorder story detailed a probe into alleged mishandling of prescription drop-box drugs at the police station. Over the past few months, Select Board members have held multiple executive sessions “to discuss complaints and potential disciplinary action against a public officer, employee, staff member,” some of which Dodge attended.