Klingensmith appointed full-time Edgartown Police officer

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On the recommendation of Police Chief Bruce McNamee, the Edgartown select board appointed Doron “Dodi” Klingensmith as a full-time police officer during a Zoom meeting.

Updated Oct. 14

The Edgartown select board voted 2-0 Tuesday afternoon to appoint Edgartown Reserve Officer Doron (“Dodi”) Klingensmith a full-time police officer. Klingensmith appeared in the Zoom feed with several Edgartown Police officers behind her in support. 

“With the retirement of Sgt. Jamie Craig, we have a vacancy here on the department since July,” Edgartown Police Chief Bruce McNamee told the board.

 McNamee said Klingensmith went through a hiring panel, background check, and has graduated the full-time police academy.

“You’ve probably seen her downtown,” McNamee said. “She’s done a terrific job. I think she’d make an excellent addition to the department. If approved, she would then participate in our field training program — that would be in the course of her one-year probationary period with the department.” 

“I think she’s a very good choice,” select board member Margaret Serpa said. 

“Congratulations,” select board chair Michael Donoroma said. “Welcome aboard.”

The board also voted to accept a donation of two electric bicycles from Ocean State Job Lot to the police department, and appointed two retired police officers as reserve police officers, Jamie Craig and Mike Gazaille. 

In other business, the board voted 2-0 to approve a one-year lease renewal with R.M. Packer Co. for the North Wharf Fuel Dock. The value of the lease is $10,000. The lease is good until Oct. 15, 2022. Town administrator James Hagerty told the board there were no issues with service this year, and fuel sales were brisk. Hagerty said with renovations coming to the area, it wouldn’t be shrewd for the board to bind the town to a long-term lease, hence a term of only a year. 

Select board member Arthur Smadbeck wasn’t present at the meeting. 

Updated to correct the spelling of an officer’s last name. 

11 COMMENTS

  1. It was nice to get a vacancy on the police department and there really was no need to fill it. We have way too many public officials on this island. Until everybody understands for every person working we’re paying 1, 2 and sometimes three people in retirement these positions are very expensive and costly and all departments could do with a few less employees

        • Waste, fraud, and abuse will not be tolerated.

          Citizens have a right to know where the money goes, and to control the purse strings.

          So, yeah, when I see 2 cruisers parked driver to driver, having a pleasant chat for hours, and knowing what they get paid, consideration of the expense definitely enters the discussion.

          When there’s no accountability for failure, you get failure, every time.

          And despite what pusillanimous bootlickers may think, police are not above the need to justify their place on the payroll.

          Time to take the red pen to that thin blue line.

          #REGIONALIZE

          • It’s the same concept as firefighter and EMTS sitting in the station until they’re needed. The point being, they’re getting paid to be ready to respond at a moments notice to any emergency. But I do agree that regionalization is the key, and not staffing numbers under the safe limit.

  2. “Two electric bicycles from Ocean State Job Lot” ?
    Ummm,…. Ummm,…. you might want to check the quality standards of those bicycles first before the police rely on them for any duty calls.

  3. Bob– tell that to the woman who was recently stabbed on circuit ave. and could have lost her life without quick intervention by the police

    • That’s a good point, Don.

      But, beyond this one anecdote, the question remains: Does a serious cost/benefit analysis justify the number of full time police officers active in Vineyard towns? Not to mention the attendant administrative staff, and other pension-sweetening hangers-on.

      In the near future, when the island’s byways will be patrolled by officers of a regional police force, the need for new appointments will be assessed, and those applications for appointment either approved or denied, by a civilian oversight committee, as they should be.

      It’s past time to take this situation in hand, and tame the monster that Vineyard policing has become.

      Power to the People.

      #REGIONALIZE

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