ERVING — The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and Erving Police Department are finalizing an agreement for the Sheriff’s Office to cover open shifts in Erving following the resignation of four patrol officers during a three-month period.
Erving Police Chief Robert Holst and interim Sheriff Lori Streeter presented the plan, which he said was initiated by the Sheriff’s Office, during Monday’s Selectboard meeting.
Holst said the priority would be staffing the 3 to 11 p.m. shift, and that one or two officers would be sent from the Sheriff’s Office. Streeter explained that before she became interim sheriff, some of the corrections officers were sent to the police academy to become certified police officers. Her office has six Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)-certified officers who can help, with two already working in Greenfield and one in Montague.
“As the sheriff, I feel that this is somewhat of a public safety emergency, and not to imply that [Holst] couldn’t do the job without us,” Streeter told the Selectboard, “but that, as one of the county leaders, I felt that we have a couple of people that we could perhaps send and help you all during this difficult time.”
She clarified that the agreement is similar to those that are in place with Greenfield and Montague. Erving Town Administrator Bryan Smith told the Selectboard that town counsel is reviewing the memorandum of understanding, and will take recommendations from the board. A revised agreement can be brought to the board’s April 6 meeting.
The Erving Police Department saw four full-time patrol officer resignations between January and March, leaving a department of six staffed by Sgt. Adam Paicos and Holst.
The officers who have resigned are Brandon Bryant, Brandon Garvey, Mitchell Waldron and Derek Worden, the last to step down. Holst said Massachusetts State Police troopers have taken calls for service during the staffing shortage.
Holst said the goal is to have Erving be the primary responsibility for the officers assigned by the Sheriff’s Office.
“The officer would come to Erving, have access to our building,” Holst explained, adding that, “In speaking with Sheriff Streeter, the only thing that we really need to provide at this point would be access to our computer system so that they can enter calls and so forth, and then our body cameras.”
Streeter said that, under the guidance of legal counsel, the officers would need to use Sheriff’s Office cruisers and wear their uniforms for service.
Once the agreement is reviewed and finalized, Smith asked when the Sheriff’s Office might begin its services to the town. Streeter gave a timeline of “within the next week or two,” which Smith said gives the town time to notify residents of this service beginning.
“I think that we need to make clear through our websites and our outreach to the community that that will be happening,” Selectboard member William Bembury said, “and that [Sheriff’s Office staff will] be operating within the limits of our community so that people aren’t surprised by it.”
Two officers hired
The Selectboard also appointed two candidates to fill two of Erving’s four vacant patrol officer positions.
The board approved a motion to appoint Alexander Meisner to a patrol officer position at a starting salary of $28.91 per hour, including a one-year probationary period and contingent on the completion of a pre-employment psychological screening and drug test.
Meisner applied for the position in February and interviewed with the Patrol Officer Preliminary Screening Committee on March 4. He is a corrections officer and field training corporal with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and is certified by the POST Commission. He also has a background in private security, according to his resume and Holst’s memo recommending Meisner, which was included in the meeting materials.
Another candidate, Nicolas Stone, was appointed to a patrol officer position at a $28.16 per hour salary for one year, pending completion of the police academy and other pre-employment requirements set by the town.
Stone is currently serving as a military police officer with the U.S. Army and previously worked in security. Holst said Stone needs to attend the police academy before starting as a patrol officer in Erving. In a memo recommending Stone for hiring, Holst noted that to ensure there are available seats in time for the start of academy training, Stone needs to be hired before April 27.
Selectboard member James Loynd, who is also part of the Patrol Officer Preliminary Screening Committee, said he has no objections to hiring these candidates. He shared that Meisner comes with transferable skills and will be able to pick up on the town’s community policing culture, and that Stone has “great upside potential.” Loynd added, “supporting and sponsoring him would pay dividends to the town.”
