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Date: 8/8/2022
BELCHERTOWN – After conducting interviews with three candidates for the vacant police chief position following the retirement of Christopher Pronovost during a special meeting on July 26, the Belchertown Select Board offered the job to Belchertown Lt. Kevin Pacunas during an Aug. 1 meeting.
Alongside Pacunas, the board also interviewed Longmeadow Police Capt. Carl Mazzaferro and North Brookfield Police Chief Mark Smith.
Board member Ron Aponte summed up the thoughts of the board saying the position came down to Mazzaferro and Pacunas but gave Pacunas the edge for his involvement in the community.
“With Lt. Pacunas, Belchertown Police Department isn’t a job, I think Belchertown Police Department is his calling, it’s ingrained in his DNA. He’s a townie, he lives for Belchertown and the proof is in the pudding,” he said.
Among some of the organizations Pacunas is involved in locally include Belchertown Overcoming Addiction (BOAT) and Speaking Out About Addiction and Recovery (SOAAR).
“If it’s Chief Pacunas it will be a 24/7 job. Chief Pacunas would be there for Belchertown every single day of the year, every single hour of the day. That’s what I’m looking for in a chief,” Aponte added.
Board Vice Chair Jim Barry agreed with Aponte and highlighted Pacunas’s answers to some of the questions asked, including how he would enter the high school in the case of a school shooting, using community insight to determine the productivity of the department and responding to negativity toward police departments in the current climate.
“Lt. Pacunas didn’t answer the question so much about addressing negativity being received by police so much as supporting your staff, which was the other half of the question. ‘You talk to your staff, you stay positive, you keep doing what you’re doing, you work on community policing and that will take care of it,’ which struck me as a great answer,” he said.
Board Clerk Ed Boscher summed up his thoughts quickly and said, “There’s no doubt in my mind that Lt. Pacunas is ready to become our new chief and take that next step, so I would support that motion.”
Board Chair Jen Turner said Pacunas received plenty of support in letters from the community that were submitted following the interviews on July 26.
“They really made an impact and spoke to the character of who we have in the department,” she said.
Ultimately, the board unanimously agreed to name Pacunas the police chief pending successful contract negotiations. Aponte added between the background check and contract negotiation it could be several weeks before Pacunas officially becomes the chief.
Pacunas, who was in attendance for the meeting, said he was thankful the board selected him for the position.
“It was a long process and I know it’s an important decision, I thank you for putting your trust, confidence and faith in me, and I’m going to work hard to keep that trust and that confidence every day,” he said. “I’m blown away.”
Aponte added, “As much as I’m sure Lt. Pacunas wanted the job, I think it’s apparent Belchertown wanted him to have the job. I’ve been at this for a few years now and I’ve never had that amount of support behind a candidate or a decision.”