ATHOL — Police Chief Russell Kleber, who has been on leave for unexplained reasons for months, has resigned, town officials have announced.
On Sept. 21, Kleber, who was sworn in as chief on July 12, 2016, and who has been on paid administrative leave since July 16, submitted a letter to Town Manager Shaun A. Suhoski resigning his position with the town effective May 31, 2019.
Suhoski reported the resignation was in the best interest of all parties, but he declined to explain why Kleber was put on leave and ultimately resigned.
During his tenure, Kleber and the department made several strides forward, including restoring a school resource officer, reinstating a K-9 program and instituting a citizen advisory committee. The chief also initiated and presented the America’s KIDS (Keeping Innocents Defended and Safe) program to the public schools and community.
Explaining the resignation, Suhoski said, “notwithstanding these accomplishments, the parties mutually believed that the fit between Chief Kleber and the Athol Police Department was not sustainable and that all parties would be best served if the chief resigned his position and sought opportunities elsewhere.”
There are three years remaining on his contract. Kleber will remain on leave through the effective date of his resignation, during which period he will be compensated via a combination of his unused accrued paid leave and paid administrative leave. The town will appoint an acting police chief during the interim period. The town manager said he and Kleber are committed to the success of this transition and the future of the town. Kleber will remain available to assist in the transition as needed.
As this is a personnel matter, town officials said they won’t offer any further comment. Attempts to reach Kleber were unsuccessful.
Kleber progressed through the ranks of the FBI as a special agent in the Providence, R.I. office from 1996 to 2002. Then, he went to the Boston office, where he was responsible for all training from 2003 to 2010. He became a supervisory special agent and full-time faculty member at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., where he delivered leadership and ethics training to new FBI special agents and the FBI National Academy from 2010 to present.
Before his federal service, Kleber, a Worcester native, was a full-time police officer in Charlton and Auburn from 1987 through 1995. He has a master’s degree in criminal justice from Anna Maria College and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Westfield State University.