LEVERETT – The Select Board has hired two new police officers, one full-time and one part-time.
The board accepted the police screening committee’s recommendations of Steven Gould and Angelia Rodrigues, bringing the department’s patrol force up to 10. Gould will take the third and final full-time spot and Rodrigues will become the squad’s seventh part-timer.
Police Chief Scott Minckler said he is pleased to “bolster the ranks” while the town is in a 90-day agreement with Wendell as part of an experiment to provide policing services to the town of 887 residents. He said the towns’ memorandum of understanding will expire Jan. 14, at which point the parties are expected to enter into a longer-term contract that is being hammered out now at committee meetings.
Wendell Police Chief Edward Chase recently retired after 43 years with the department.
Leverett Select Board Chairwoman Julie Shively, the board member who served on the police screening committee, said three candidates were interviewed and Gould and Rodrigues stood out as the best.
Minckler explained Gould’s experience in law enforcement spans 14 years, 10 of which were spent at the Eastham Police Department on Cape Cod. Minckler said Gould used to be a certified firearms instructor and he hopes to get him recertified to assist with annual mandatory in-house trainings. Gould also worked for the Los Angeles Police Department, vetting job candidates for the force. Minckler said Gould and his family moved to California, where they dabbled in animal agriculture, and “they missed it out this way.” He said Gould started job hunting, found an opening in Leverett and applied.
Minckler said the Gould family is looking for a western Massachusetts property that can accommodate their goats. He said the plan is for Gould and family to fly in from California in early December and then quarantine for 14 days to comply with a COVID-19 travel order. Gould is expected to start with the department in early January.
Rodrigues has four years of part-time police experience and has worked in private security. She is currently a member of the Mount Holyoke College Public Safety and Service Department.
“She interviewed for the full-time spot and we really liked her,” Minckler said. “We liked her community-police mentality and how full of energy she was toward the job. We went with experience for the full-time position, but we wanted her to be a part of our department.”
Minckler said his part-timers will likely handle most of Wendell’s calls for service.
Shively said the town did not want to let Rodrigues slip away.
“She was very impressive,” she said.
Minckler said Rodrigues interviewed in person while Gould had his interviews via an online video-conferencing platform because he still lives in California.