Swampscott Looks To Fill Vacancy On Police Force

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott is looking to fill an opening on its police force.

The entry-level position posting comes following a public dispute this summer between police union leadership and the town administration over the pace of the town's hiring and claims of staff shortages within the department.

Swampscott Police Union President Kevin Reen spoke during the public comment section of the Select Board meeting in August and charged that the department was "grossly understaffed" with only 27 of 32 full-time positions filled.

"We have a significant concern with the Swampscott PD staffing levels as they relate to public safety in our town," Reen said.

Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald told Patch at the time that any delays were the result of the switch from the civil service system and a desire to hire from as diverse a field of candidates as possible.

"We have a number of vacancies and we are not looking to fill them just to fill them," Fitzgerald told Patch. "We are going to fill them because we have an opportunity to fulfill some broader priorities.

"We are looking for the most diverse and most extraordinary men and women to join these departments and help us meet the broader demands of public safety."

Fitzgerald said at the time that while the department is considered fully staffed at 32, some periods of staffing at less than 32 are inevitable since the town cannot hire an officer based on the possibility that another officer might retire the next year.

"We knew nothing about this was going to be easy," Fitzgerald said of the civil service shift. "But
everything we do with it will be some of the most important things we do in public life."

The new posting includes a deadline of Feb. 20 for applicants to register and pass the Police Exam Solutions evaluation on Feb. 13. Applications received after Feb. 20 will be kept on file for future consideration.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)