New Ipswich Police Chief Tim Carpenter has announced he will be retiring at the end of June, after nearly a decade leading the department.
The Select Board announced Friday that Carpenter’s retirement is effective as of July 1.
Carpenter has been a member of the town’s police force for 18 years, and was tapped to lead the department nine years ago, after the departure of former Chief Garrett Chamberlain.
In a statement issued by Carpenter, he thanked those who had supported him in his town work over the years.
“I want to thank all past and present Department Heads, town employees, the various boards and Emergency Service Agencies who have supported the Police Department over the years,” Carpenter wrote. “I also want to thank State and Federal agencies that have provided support and assistance through the years.”
Specifically, Carpenter also thanked the members of his department.
“To all past and present New Ipswich Police Department employees, I want to thank each of you for your hard work, dedication to the community, and willingness to go above and beyond. I am greatly appreciative to all your efforts through the years,” Carpenter wrote. “To the residents of the Town of New Ipswich, I wish everyone good health and happiness.”
In his tenure at the department, Carpenter has been leading the charge to find the department a permanent home, after the former police station was closed due to a persistent black mold problem.
Since, the department has been renting a space on Turnpike Road, but the Police Department and town have made several pitches for a permanent replacement, including purchasing and renovating the building they’re currently in, or building a free-standing police station and future safety complex to include the fire department behind the town offices.
After several iterations of the project were rejected at the polls, the Select Board still intends to return the plan to voters to try again to get approval for building a new station behind the town offices, on the location of the former police building.
Carpenter also pushed for updated police salaries in the town’s most recent budget, seeking to get pay up to par with neighboring communities to try to keep officers in the department.
Select Board Chair Shawn Talbot said the board will be forming a committee, hopefully with the assistance of Carpenter and other police chiefs, to select Carpenter’s replacement.
Talbot said he could not comment whether the board would be looking to promote internally or hire from outside, but said the intention is to have a hire in place by the end of Carpenter’s term as chief.
“That would be ideal,” Talbot said.
In return for the thanks Carpenter issued to the various department’s he’s worked with, Talbot expressed similar sentiments about Carpenter himself.
“We’re very appreciative of the time he’s put in with the town, and wish him the very best,” Talbot said.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172, ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.