Frank Shea of the Greenfield Police was promoted to sergeant on Thursday, following the retirement of Sergeant Glen Roberge.
Shea has worked for the Greenfield Police Department since he interned as a ConVal high schooler, Police Chief Brian Giammarino said. Shea spent summers with the department while he studied sociology and literature at the University of New Hampshire. When he returned to do more part-time data entry work after graduation, the department instead swore him in as a part-time officer, Giammarino said. “He’s very conscientious, he’s extremely bright,” Giammarino said, and much less shy than when he started. “When I retire, I’m kinda hoping that he’s going to take over,” he said. Shea worked for about five years as an officer in Hancock before returning to Greenfield.
Greenfield is hiring for an officer to fill Roberge’s position, Giammarino said. “I worked with Glen for 17-and-a-half years… we had great working relationship and he was great for the police department and the town,” he said, and that he would miss seeing Roberge as frequently. Roberge was dedicated to the community and always showed up for shifts a half hour early and stayed late, Giammarino said, and his replacement will have “very big shoes to fill.”
The Chief succeeded in surprising Roberge with a small retirement party earlier in the week by pretending he locked himself out of his house while washing the police cruiser, and asking him to come over. “I don’t think he saw it coming,” Giammarino said.
The Peterborough Police Department promoted Master Patrolman George Xenakis to patrol sergeant on Wednesday as well, to fill the supervisor vacancy left by Sergeant Richard Nelson, who retired in May, Police Chief Scott Guinard said. Xenakis started as an officer with the department as an officer and worked his way up the ladder. “I’m looking forward to having him work closer,” he said, as part of the department’s administration. Patrol sergeants serve as the officer in charge while they’re working, Guinard said, and Xenakis had to study laws, policies, procedures, and case law, pass a written exam, and conduct an oral interview with a board before he was ultimately recommended to Guinard for the job. “I’m very pleased that he did well,” Guinard said.