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Date: 1/25/2023
BRIMFIELD – The town will stay the course, at least for now, when it comes to the Police Department’s leadership.
The topic of where to take police services and the chief’s job came up briefly at the Jan. 18 Board of Selectmen meeting.
Selectman Anthony Soto offered a motion to continue for the present time with the acting chief, Lt. William Beaudry at the helm.
Beaudry has been serving in the top job since the retirement last year of longtime Police Chief Charles Kuss.
“He [Beaudry] is the right fit for this time right now,” said Soto, who added that it is also the general consensus among the board right now. “I don’t think it’s a good time to change.”
As Kuss’s end of November departure neared, the town opened the application process and sought candidates for the job. Also discussed was the option of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department to potentially take over law enforcement service for the town.
It was in fact Soto, who was leading an effort to have Sheriff Nick Cocchi present his plans for such a move to the town. Among the benefits Soto had touted by having the sheriff assume Brimfield’s policing was financial savings and increased services for the town.
Back in November 2022, Soto called a potential sheriff takeover, “a win-win” for all concerned. A presentation by the sheriff on policing the town is still planned.
At the same time the town has received several applications for the chief’s job. The committee formed to conduct a review of the candidates is scheduled to meet on Feb.13. Acting Chief Beaudry is among those candidates, according to Soto.
At that time, Soto said, the process could move ahead with all the candidates or potentially with Beaudry simply being offered the position permanently.
“He’s just the right guy”, Soto said.