The Town of Hancock will work with the New Hampshire Association of Police Chiefs in the process of hiring a new chief of police following the recent resignation of interim police chief Terry Choate.
According to the minutes of the April 24 meeting of the Hancock Select Board, the town will “move ahead with utilizing the services” of the New Hampshire Association of Police Chiefs to start the hiring process.
Choate, who had formerly worked as a part-time police officer for the town of Hancock and had previously worked both full-time and part-time in Jaffrey, resigned due to lack of current certification. The Select Board accepted his resignation effective immediately on Tuesday, April 21.
Choate attended the April 24 public meeting of the Select Board in which the board discussed the best path forward for finding a new chief.
Select Board Chair Betsy Villaume said the town is coordinating with local and county agencies to maintain police coverage. While Hancock currently has no full-time officers, part-time personnel are providing coverage, with mutual aid support from neighboring communities including Peterborough, Greenfield, Antrim, Bennington and Dublin until staffing is restored.
The board passed a motion that Select Board member Peter Webster will coordinate with Town Administrator Jonathan Coyne to work with the New Hampshire Association of Police Chiefs to find a new chief and to secure coverage until the department is fully staffed.
At the April 24 meeting, some residents asked about the results of the 2025 police regionalization studies conducted by committees in Hancock and Greenfield. According to the Greenfield and Hancock 2026 Town Reports, both study committees recommended that the towns not attempt to regionalize police departments at this time due to logistical issues.
