Patrolman Michael Dowd has been promoted to chief of the Francestown Police Department.
Dowd, who has served as an officer in Francestown since September 2017, will take over for outgoing chief Fred Douglas. Douglas will remain on staff as a patrolman until he retires at some point next year.
“It’s an honor and a real opportunity for me,” Dowd said. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I’m quite fond of the area.”
The search for a new police chief began in late August/early September, according to Town Administrator Jamie Pike, after Douglas told the town he intended to retire sometime in 2019.
The switch to a new police chief was expedited due to a recent law change that will take effect next year.
House Bill 561, signed into law by Governor Chris Sununu in June, makes changes to RSA 100 regarding retirement system retirees working part-time jobs.
Dowd and Douglas both retired from the Milford Police Department, Dowd in 2017 and Douglas in 2012.
Starting Jan. 1, part-time employees who are retired members of the state’s retirement system cannot work more than 1,300 hours (25 hours a week) in a calendar year. Currently, such employees can work 32 hours a week.
There is a provision that allows for employers to notify the state’s retirement system that an employee will work more than 1,300, though the employee in question still cannot work over 1,600 hours a year.
“If they were not named to their current positions before the end of the year they would be limited to 25 hours per week,” Pike said. “… it would have forced us to go with a full-time chief, or one that could only work 25 hours.”
Pike said the town interviewed a few candidates for the police chief job before announcing Dowd as the new chief on Nov. 26. He was sworn in officially on Dec. 10.
“He’s charismatic, community oriented, and has ties to the community,” Pike said. “He has the tools of a small town police chief.”
Dowd will be employed under an annual contract and work an average of 32 hours a week, Pike said. He will make $28 an hour under his probationary period and his hourly rate will jump to $32 an hour after that.
Dowd said he is excited for the opportunity to learn under Douglas, a mentor he has had for a number of years. Prior to working under him in Francestown, Dowd worked with Douglas when he was chief of the Milford Police Department.
“We’ve been together many years, and he has a lot of knowledge,” Dowd said. “It’s very beneficial [to have him remain with the department] and I’m very grateful to him – his knowledge will be extremely helpful.”
Dowd has been a full-time police officer since 1981, spending his law enforcement career in Milford. He served as patrol officer, a detective, and as a school resource officer.
“I want to get a firm grasp of the administrative duties,” Dowd said, of the initial learning curve that comes with being chief. “I also want to be available and accessible to the community.”
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com.