Communication lines are open between Hancock Police Chief Thomas Horne and members of the Hancock Community Conversations on Race (HCCOR) as Horne looks toward hiring new officers.
Horne had a virtual meeting with group members on Jan. 20, during which they got to know him, discussed policing philosophies, and state mandated officer trainings, he said. “We’re a department that’s open and sensitive to national issues taking place,” Horne said, and that the conversation was a good start for a running dialogue on relevant issues.
“We feel that the meeting was a first step towards developing a productive relationship with the Hancock police department,” HCCOR members said in a statement, and that they additionally spoke with Horne about racial profiling and how to improve communications between the town and the Police Department. “We look forward to future conversations with the Chief,” they said.
Hiring new officers is an important opportunity for members of the public to voice their expectations, Horne said. A representative from the community group may be able to participate in candidate interviews after initial aptitude tests and psychological evaluations are complete, he said, along with other local police chiefs and senior officers.
The Hancock Police Department started off the year with its two full time officer positions unfilled, after Horne stepped into his role as Chief, new hire Kristopher Fox left for a position in Winchester, and Officer Cameron Prior retired from law enforcement after his injuries from a 2018 crash “proved insurmountable,” Horne wrote in the 2020 Town Report. The town’s police department is budgeted for a police chief, two full time officers, and five part time officers, Horne said.
Since its inception in October 2018, HCCOR has been committed to more fully understanding the nature of individual, institutional and systemic racism and educating others in Hancock and in the region on these topics.