With the retirement of Chief Glenn Laramie in November, the Select Board didn’t waste any time announcing the appointment of Patrolman Joe Mahoney as the new Andover Police Chief.

Mahoney, who grew up in Franklin,  began his career in law enforcement as a part time patrolman in the Town of Hill while he was a college student at Unity College in Unity, Maine. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, he began looking for full time employment, and a position for a full time officer was open in Andover. He was hired and has been here ever since.

Mahoney says that he likes working in a small town where you get to know the people you serve and feel like you are part of the community.  One might think that a police department in a small town would not be very busy, but Mahoney pointed out a stack of folders on his desk and another large binder all of which contain open cases that need his attention. Having been the only full time member of the department, Mahoney is used to being busy and is very familiar with the day to day operations of the department.

The new chief has some things he would like to begin implementing but does not envision any big changes anytime soon. He hopes to review and update the department policies and procedures and to be sure that training of officers is up to date. He is also considering how to use social media to communicate with the community.

Staffing will be a priority. There were vacancies for part-time officers before Mahoney was promoted. He is anxious to get the department back to a full compliment of officers, which can be a problem right now in New Hampshire. Most area departments are not fully staffed, and there are not many qualified people looking for jobs in law enforcement. In the past, many of the officers who worked in Andover were full time officers in other departments. With the staffing shortages in other departments, there is plenty of overtime available and officers are not looking to work outside their own department.

Mahoney said he could probably have found employment in a bigger department, but he likes working in Andover and is looking forward to serving the town in his new role.