Tuesdays in the Newsroom, the Gazette’s off-season discussion series, returns next week with an opportunity to hear from the Island’s top law enforcement officials.
Meet the Chiefs will bring together the police chiefs of four of the Island towns and the county sheriff for an evening of discussion and questions about issues and challenges in keeping the peace on Martha’s Vineyard. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24, in the Gazette’s Edgartown newsroom. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. for a brief reception, followed by the program.
Chief Randhi Belain of Aquinnah, Chief Erik Blake of Oak Bluffs, Chief Jonathan Klaren of Chilmark, Chief Bruce McNamee of Edgartown and Sheriff Robert Ogden will be the featured guests. Chief Dan Hanavan of Vineyard Haven and Chief Matthew Mincone of West Tisbury are unable to attend.
Though each Island town has its own police force, there is broad cooperation among the departments. The sheriff’s office operates the communications center, coordinating emergency dispatch Islandwide, and the chiefs meet regularly as the Martha’s Vineyard Law Enforcement Council, which oversees an all-Island tactical response team. Chief Belain, a member of the Aquinnah force since 1996, is the current council president.
Chief Blake has led the Oak Bluffs police department since 2008. He is past president of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the only Island chief to hold that position. Chief McNamee is the newest chief, having been recently appointed to replace retiring Edgartown police chief David Rossi.
Chief McNamee served for 20 years on the Plymouth police department, most recently as administrative captain.
Chief Klaren was a longtime sergeant in the Chilmark police department before his selection last year as the new chief in Chilmark. Chief Mincone was also recently elevated to the top position in West Tisbury, and a search has begun for a successor to Chief Hanavan in Tisbury.
Mr. Ogden was elected to a six-year term as Dukes County sheriff in November 2016.
Admission is free for subscribers to the Gazette; non-subscribers pay $10 at the door. To ensure a seat, register in advance at newsroom.brownpapertickets.com.
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