The Aquinnah select board chose a former patrol officer to succeed police Chief Randhi Belain in leading the Island’s smallest police department.
The board voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Ryan Ruley, a police sergeant in Edgartown, as chief starting Nov. 6, when Chief Belain retires.
“In Sergeant Ryan Ruley, we believe we have found a leader with the experience, judgment and temperament to serve all of Aquinnah’s residents and visitors as well, and we look forward to welcoming him as our next chief of police, and to the continued cooperation between the town and the tribe that his leadership will help strengthen,” said Tom Murphy, the select board chair.
Mr. Ruley was one of five applicants reviewed for the position. Mr. Ruley was interviewed last week by the town’s interview committee, along with fellow finalist Daniel Jones.
Mr. Ruley’s experience working in Aquinnah was attractive to the select board. Prior to working in Edgartown, Mr. Ruley served as an officer from 2005 to 2007 and a detective from 2009 to 2012 in the up-Island town.
Mr. Ruley, who is also a former Oak Bluffs select board member, said he wants to continue the legacy of community policing set up by his predecessors.
“It truly is community policing,” said Mr. Ruley. “We do a lot more than law enforcement. We do a ton of community involvement.”
Chief Belain has been with the department since 1996, and will stay on to serve as a special officer. Mr. Ruley said he planned to follow Chief Belain’s lead.
“He laid down a foundation over 30 years of good communication and being a steward of public safety, not so much law enforcement,” Mr. Ruley said. “And I think we’ll continue that tradition and work well with the tribe and we’ll work to modernize policies and procedures that bring us to this next level of policing and be very heavy on community policing.”
The Aquinnah police force has been understaffed in recent years and the department had to ask for support from the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office to continue services.
Mr. Ruley’s arrival is one of several personnel changes to bolster the department. Recently, the town appointed Krystle Welch as its newest police officer, and Jeffrey Trudel as its newest sergeant.
“I’m lucky that I’ve got Jeff Trudel up here as a sergeant who’s got a ton of experience, and Randhi’s not going far,” said Mr. Ruley. “He’s going to stay on as a special officer and help us out, which is huge.”
Mr. Murphy said that policing in the town of Aquinnah, which has the sovereign Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) within its borders, can be different from the other towns on the Vineyard.
“Policing here calls for more than professional skills; it calls for respect for tribal sovereignty, sensitivity to the tribe’s history and concerns, and a commitment to working in partnership with tribal leadership and the tribe’s own public safety officials,” said Mr. Murphy.