SOUTH HADLEY — With current Police Chief Steve Parentela set to retire on Jan. 4, the town is aiming to be in conversation with a final candidate for the position by mid-November.
A job posting for a new police chief was published on Sept. 12 on the South Hadley website, and is set to close on Oct. 12. The town has received eight applications as of Monday, according to Town Administrator Mike Sullivan.
“We’d love to have someone in place mid-December, but we realize that that might be affected by people’s professional and personal lives,” Sullivan said.
Applications are reviewed by a panel composed of the town’s human resources director and two other people whose identities town officials are not revealing during the process. This anonymity is standard for any town position in an effort to keep the selection process apolitical, Sullivan said.
Aside from the number of candidates, Sullivan has not received any other identifying details on the applicants, which is also intended to eliminate outside influence.
The three-person panel typically recommends one to three candidates to Sullivan, who then gives his own recommendation to the Select Board for approval.
According to the job posting, the applicant must have at least a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, law enforcement, public administration or a related field, with a master’s degree preferred; at least 10 years of “progressively responsible experience”; a minimum of five years of “increasingly responsible command experience”; a license to carry firearms; and a valid state motor vehicle operator’s license. The posting lists the annual salary at $105,000-$136,000, depending on qualifications.
The posting emphasizes “progressive, proactive” leadership that shows that “the work of policemen has changed in dramatic ways,” Sullivan said.
The town’s next police chief “needs to understand that we want to be an accepting community, we want to continue to promote diverse populations in town, and also be someone who is progressive in understanding police techniques to protect the public,” he said.
The town will also hold an public forum on Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Town Hall auditorium in order to gather public opinion on what South Hadley citizens would like to see in their next police chief.
The town last searched for a new police chief in spring 2016, when then-police chief David LaBrie announced his retirement after serving in the position for more than a decade.
Parentela was appointed police chief in August 2016 and sworn in on Sept. 30, 2016. He began working with the South Hadley Police Department in 1983 as a special police officer, eventually becoming a lieutenant prior to his appointment as police chief. He served as the town’s interim police chief before taking on the position permanently.
“We’re very sorry to see chief Parentela go, but we’re also excited to continue to move in a progressive direction with South Hadley Police Department,” Sullivan said.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.