Antrim Police Chief Scott Lester is set to retire from the force on May 1 after nearly 13 years of service to the town. Lt. Brian Lord has been appointed as his successor.
“I loved the job,” Lester said in a Friday interview looking back at his years in charge in Antrim.
“It has been an honor to have worked alongside a great team within the police department and throughout all the town departments, programs, and groups,” he wrote in his retirement announcement to the community on Thursday.
Leaving his colleagues is the hardest part of retiring, Lester said, but also what makes it possible to do so. “I never wanted to leave the town shorthanded or without someone to keep the ball rolling,” he said. “ I think I’ve built a really good foundation and a good police department,” he said, and its current staff seemed well-poised to handle a leadership transition.
Also, a great opportunity came up for Lester’s next role in the community: he’ll soon be joining Homestead Property Watch and Management Services, a new enterprise of Hancock businessman Kurt Grassett.
“I’ve always been very particular about the appearance of my home, and the safety of my home,” Lester said. In his new position, he’ll be able to apply his enjoyment of home maintenance and small projects while helping people keep up with their homes, Lester said. “It’s appealing to people to know that the person watching their house has been in law enforcement for 28 years,” he said, especially since his tenure as police chief has granted him a deep familiarity with the area, its contractors, and the dynamics of local communities.
Lester has spent his entire police career in the Monadnock region. He became a part-time police officer in 1993 at age 19, and moved up to full-time in 1996. He served in Lyndeborough, Hancock, and Peterborough before coming to Antrim in 2008. “Our department is in a great spot right now for me to move forward,” he said, and expressed thanks to the community of Antrim for their support. “I know my years s a police officer have not been without many challenges and tough decisions, but overall it has been a very positive experience and will always be an extremely rewarding time in my life,” he wrote to community members.
Lester’s successor, Brian Lord, has been with the department since 2008 after previously serving as a part-time officer in Nelson, Lester said, having hired Lord himself. He wished his successor the best of luck as the next police chief. “He is committed to the Antrim community and is excited to begin his new duties,” Lester wrote to community members, and encouraged them to continue to support Lord as the department transitions to a new leader.