As you may know, South Hadley Police Chief Steven Parentela is retiring, and a new police chief will soon be appointed. As we congratulate and thank Chief Parentela for his long-time commitment and contribution, we would like to use this transition period to reach out and ask town residents to come together in a symposium of understanding to discuss what they believe is important for the incoming police chief to know about our community.
Please join us at South Hadley Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 18 from 6-8 p.m. to be part of discussion on the input we together want to provide to the new person who will take on the responsibilities of police chief. We’ll start at 6 p.m. with snacks and light refreshments, and then move to a series of large and small group discussions. We will end by 8 p.m., and the input gathered will be used to help inform our hiring process and the new chief.
In keeping with South Hadley’s approach, the new chief will continue our commitment to advancing community policing: the practice of creating and maintaining a strong relationship with local residents, dealing fairly with all residents, and understanding and respecting the diversity of the varied background, history and culture of the residents and neighborhoods our police see, support, and interact with every day.
While you are welcome to decide at any time whether to come, an RSVP will help us plan our space and refreshments appropriately. Please RSVP to Mike Sullivan at msullivan@southhadleyma.gov or Sarah Etelman at setelman@southhadleyma.gov.