Police chief position becomes full-time in New Salem
Board of Selectmen · Meeting of January 12, 2026
New Salem Board of Selectmen restructures police chief position to full-time. The board voted unanimously to establish the full-time position and voted separately to post it as an open posting with internal candidates encouraged to apply. Selectboard member Mailande DeWitt recused herself from both votes due to a conflict of interest.
The Police Futures Committee had recommended the transition, citing advantages including increased administrative capacity and improved emergency response capability. The board also unanimously closed the upper portion of West Street to winter maintenance and authorized deficit spending for the Snow and Ice account.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 393 words
Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of January 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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