(Editor’s note:  As Chief Mahoney reviewed the article below before publication, he requested that The Beacon add the following: “I would like to thank the people of Andover for their support over the past 20 years, as well as for all of the kind remarks that people have posted on Facebook.  Thanks, Joe.”)

On this past February 2, Andover Police Chief Joseph P. Mahoney III marked the 20th anniversary of his 2001 appointment to the Andover Police Department.

What’s changed since he joined the department in 2001, Joe Mahoney was asked?

A whole lot, he says from behind his desk in the small police structure located between the Town Hall and the Andover Fire Station.  “Instead of this building, for example, we had a tiny, one-room facility with no running water or bathrooms.

“Also,” he continues, “the population has grown and become more diverse, the nature and number of incidents we deal with have changed, the support equipment and services available to us have dramatically improved , the number of full-time officers has increased to two, an administrative assistant has been added, and more.” 

On his appointment as Andover Police Chief in December of 2017, the Beacon reported on Joe’s background and interests as follows:

“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.”

More from the 2017 Beacon article: “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.”

In that regard, Joe reports today, little has changed.

(To this report, the Beacon staff adds, “Thank you, Joe!)