ADAMS, Mass. — Troy Bacon was sworn in Tuesday morning on the front steps of Town Hall as the interim police chief of the Adams Police Department.

 

Bacon takes over for outgoing Chief Richard Tarsa as he retired after 36 years of service on the force.

 

Tarsa announced his intention to retire in January of this year and the town began a search process with the aim of hiring a permanent replacement upon his retirement. The town formed a search committee and received several applications but the process was temporarily halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

When the process resumed, the Board of Selectmen along with Town Administrator Jay Green felt hiring an interim until at least the beginning of the new year would be the most prudent course of action given the uncertainty caused by the global health pandemic.

 

Bacon has served for 20 years in the Frankfort, Ind., Police Department with the last eight of those as chief. Frankfort is a city of about 16,000 that serves as the seat of Clinton County in central Indiana. He was a unanimous choice of the Selectmen and was also endorsed by Green. 

 

Town leaders lamented that because of current social distancing guidelines, a larger more formal ceremony could not be held to honor Tarsa as well as several other recently retired longtime members of the department. They said as soon as a safe and secure time can be found, they will make it happen. 

 

There were still a dozen of Adams' finest on hand to honor the outgoing and recognize the incoming chief along with several representatives from every town department.

 

These included Fire Chief John Pansecchi, Department of Public Works head Robert Tober along with staff, Adams Ambulance Chief Michael Gleason, Head Forest Warden Richard Kleiner, as well as Town Hall staff. All masked and social distanced for the pared-down ceremony.

 

Bacon had applied for the permanent post when it was offered but said he's not focusing on that at the moment and just wants to get his bearings before he looks too far ahead.

 

"Right now it's really just getting my feet on the ground and learning a new process, new personalities and just working from there. It's important right now for me to get a sense of what's going on and how decisions are made," said Bacon. "I need to get out into the community and try to get a vibe. I think it's important for the chief to be out in the community. It's hard to make decisions as a chief and for the department if you don't know the community. Those are priorities for me right now."

 

Being that this is an interim position Bacon's family will not immediately be joining him in Adams but he said that would obviously change should he and Adams decide to make the relationship permanent.

 

"Right now they're back home given that this is interim status. As this progresses we could have other conversations potentially but it's the right move [right now]. It's up for discussion later," he said. "Right now the priority for me is to ensure the operational excellence of the department."