NORTHFIELD — Nearing the three-year anniversary of his appointment to the department, Police Chief Jon Hall was surprised with a recognition from his officers during the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday evening.

Officer John Cowan presented Hall with a letter of appreciation in the first few minutes of the meeting. Explaining that Hall does not let his officers’ acts of service go unrecognized, Cowan said Sgt. Oleg Cobileanschi wrote the letter on behalf of all Northfield officers to extend similar appreciation to the chief.

“A lot of times these meetings, the chief comes in a couple times a year and speaks about some stuff that all the officers have done, which is great. It’s quite a tidal shift for us within our department and the officers really appreciate it,” Cowan said. “Under your guidance, we have witnessed the significant improvements in morale, operational efficiency and community relations, your open-door policy and willingness to listen to the concerns of every member of the department and encourage an environment of trust and collaboration.”

In an interview, Cowan explained that some of the positive changes to Northfield’s policing that took place under Hall’s leadership exemplify a thoughtful law enforcement practice that he said has been trending in departments across the country.

Cowan said the chief makes himself available to officers at all times of day and checks in on department staff after they respond to serious or potentially traumatic calls — a practice that he said was unheard of when he joined the department roughly 20 years ago.

“Being a police chief in a small town, it’s not 40 hours a week. It just never stops,” Cowan said. “The amount of calls that you get, whether it’s a question about some paperwork, whether it’s a question about an arrest, whether it’s a question about an incident that’s either occurred or we’re in the process of an investigation ... he’s never not picked up his phone.”

Selectboard Chair Bernard “Bernie” Boudreau echoed Cowan’s remarks, adding that he had heard similar positive feedback about Hall from residents.

Hall, who was appointed to his position in December 2021 after serving as a lieutenant with the University of Massachusetts Amherst Police, said he was “humbled” by what he described as a unique recognition.

“I personally don’t believe I’ve ever received a letter like this, and I’ve gotten some letters of recognition and some appreciation, but this is probably the most humbling thing I’ve received so far,” Hall said. “You try to, as a team leader, lead by example, and then you’re just hoping that you can contribute to a good team environment. ... This is pretty special.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.