By Hiroko Sato
Lowell Sun
GROTON, Mass. — Robert Dyer says police have foiled break-in attempts thanks to diligent residents who reported unusual activities in their neighborhoods.
As the senior-citizen population is growing and the need for emergency assistance will likely increase, it’s more important than ever to have a police chief who understands how to foster good communication with residents and earn their trust, said Dyer, who serves on the Police Chief Screening Committee.
“Community policing is really, really critical,” Selectman Peter Cunningham said.
During last night’s meeting, selectmen opened the floor for public input regarding qualifications of potential candidates for police chief.
Current Police Chief Robert Mulhern is expected to resign this fall due to health reasons, though the exact date of his departure has not been determined.
The town has so far received nearly 50 applications for the job, including nine yesterday. The application deadline is June 30, and Cunningham, who also serves on the Screening Committee, expects more resumes will arrive by the end of the week.
“There is a high-level of interest in this position. This should be encouraging to the community,” Cunningham said.
Selectmen and the Screening Committee want to know what qualities residents are looking for in their next police chief.
There were exchanges of e-mails about the topic on the local community e-mail list last week, and officials expected that many people would show at last night’s meeting to voice their opinions. However, the meeting drew few residents.
“I’m very disappointed actually,” said Interim Town Administrator Jeff Ritter.
Ritter said he met with department heads last Wednesday to get their input, and many of them are hoping to see a chief who is a “fiscal conservative, good communicator.” Ritter will be meeting with police staff later this week to ask their opinions.
Selectman Joshua Degen said one resident told him the town should not hire someone who considers the position as his/her end job.
Cunningham said many people seem to agree that candidates for the job should value community policing, which Mulhern has advocated. If a candidate understands the concept, “By definition, the person would be open to reaching to different sections of the community,” Cunningham said.
The Search Committee’s goal is to recommend three finalists to selectmen by late August or early September.
Selectmen are encouraging residents to e-mail comments to selectmen@groton.org or by calling at (978) 448-1111 or faxing at (978) 448-1115.
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