As the country reels over protests and violence in Minneapolis, Martha’s Vineyard police chiefs issued a statement late Friday.

The search for a new Tisbury police chief has been narrowed to five candidates from a field of 16.

Edgartown police chief Bruce McNamee feels community policing is more than just getting to know the people in town.

Community policing on Martha’s Vineyard requires a special set of skills, four chiefs and the sheriff said during a Gazette discussion this week.

The Gazette’s off-season discussion series returns next week with an opportunity to hear from the Island’s top law enforcement officials.

Tisbury is set to begin the process of searching for a new police chief, and as part of the search the town hopes to recruit candidates from on and off-Island.

With a search now under way for a new police chief in Edgartown, tension inside the department has bubbled to the surface in a town that has long prided itself on having relatively few internal problems.

Edgartown police chief David Rossi is stepping down following a recent heart attack, becoming the third Island police chief to announce his departure in less than a month.

Edgartown police chief David Rossi is stepping down after more than 25 years with the Edgartown police department following a recent heart attack. Lieut. Christopher Dolby has been named the acting chief while the town searches for Mr. Rossi's replacement.

Dan Hanavan in Tisbury and Dan Rossi in West Tisbury have announced plans to retire, leaving vacancies in the top police job in two of the six Island towns.