MONTAGUE — Come November, Greenfield Police Lt. Jason Haskins will be the new chief of police in Montague.
After successful negotiations, Haskins, 48, of Greenfield, was hired to lead the Montague Police Department starting Nov. 17, giving him and outgoing Police Chief Christopher Williams time to work together to ease the transition.
During Monday’s Selectboard meeting, the board approved the terms of Haskins’ contract. The three-year contract includes a $124,862 base salary, plus an additional $31,000 for an education stipend and $6,000 for working as the information technology (IT) coordinator for 18 months.
The town also approved Haskins as a Grade A employee, representing a step up from the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management’s recommendation that the police chief be a Grade B employee. The change affects the salary offered.
Town Administrator Walter Ramsey said this is a competitive salary compared to chiefs in similar towns.
“We had to be able to compete, and this is a competitive wage for the right person for the job,” Ramsey said.
“Having sat on the search committee and talked to several candidates, Jason definitely was really our frontrunner in the candidates,” Selectboard Vice Chair Richard Kuklewicz said. David Kachajian, chief of police in Brandon, Vermont, was the other finalist. Kuklewicz added that Haskins “brings a wealth of knowledge [and] a community connection to Montague, which is really nice.”
Haskins is a Montague native and has 25 years of law enforcement experience. He’s been with the Greenfield Police Department since 2007, and previously served as chief of police in Colrain from January 2009 to January 2016. His career began in 1999 as a patrol officer, and he said a career goal has been to serve as a police chief.
The new hire will work for a week and a half with Williams, who is leaving the department after 36 years, including seven years as chief. In retirement, Williams previously said he hopes to spend more time hiking, cycling and being with his dog. He will also keep busy working part-time to conduct traffic detail and as a bus driver for F.M. Kuzmeskus.
Haskins comes to the Montague Police Department with management experience in policing, as well as continued education and police training. He earned his associate degree in criminal justice from Holyoke Community College in 2015 and his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2019. He is actively working toward his doctorate through Keiser University.
In transitioning to this new chapter, Haskins said he was approached by Williams and other Montague Police union members about the available position, and decided to apply.
Regarding his goals as police chief in Montague, where he will oversee 14 officers, Haskins said he wants to bolster the relationship between the Montague and Greenfield departments, noting he is already familiar with the Montague officers and sees a chance for further partnership. Additionally, he shared his passion for community-oriented policing, emphasizing that his goals include building relationships with the wider community.
“I’m familiar with the community — great people over there — and if I can be part of helping them just get better and continue to grow, that’s a great opportunity,” he said.
Haskins also emphasized his interest in listening to and learning from Williams.
“We know each other pretty well, which is good,” he said. “The transition is, I’m gonna keep my eyes and ears open, my mouth shut, and be a sponge and take whatever he’s willing to teach me.”
When asked about staffing in Montague, Haskins said he feels salaries are only part of the equation for maintaining officers. He feels that management of staff and treating everyone right is what creates successful departments. The department has three vacancies.
As he enters the Montague Police Department this winter, Haskins said he wants to build rapport with the other officers and look at ways to support them by addressing their needs.
“I don’t want to go in with that, ‘We’ve got to change everything’ [attitude], because that really discredits the people that are there,” he said. “I want to work with them on creating changes that make sense.”