Adams Select Board Discusses Steps for Appointing Police Chief
ADAMS, Mass. — The town could have a new permanent police chief by the start of the new year.
On Wednesday, the select board approved a framework for a candidate screening committee and heard a potential timeline for making a decision to appoint the next leader of the 18-officer department.
The board heard a report from Chair Jay T. Meczywor, who serves on the panel's Public Safety Subcommittee along with Select Board Vice Chair Ann M. Bartlett.
Meczywor said the subcommittee recommended that the board appoint a seven-member panel to screen applicants and recommend three finalists for interviews and selection by the full board.
"If we move quickly enough, we could potentially get the screening committee up and moving by early September," Town Administrator Nicholas Caccamo told the board. "We would want to get the job posting up right behind it. Potentially, by mid-November, the screening committee could make recommendations to the board.
"Potentially, you could be making an appointment by the end of the calendar year."
Caccamo reminded the board that interim Police Chief Timothy Sorrell, who joined the force in October 2025 to serve in place of then-Chief K. Scott Kelley, has a contract that runs through Dec. 31 with an option to renew for up to six months.
One step in finding a permanent chief is putting together a screening committee to review applications and do a preliminary round of interviews before sending finalists on to the select board.
On Wednesday, the board agreed to appoint a committee that includes Caccamo, a member of the Police Department's union, a representative chosen by each select board member and one additional person.
The police union asked to have a representative on the panel, and the select board members Wednesday agreed that made sense. Since the board only has four members at the moment, the screening committee would have an even number of appointees unless a seventh "at large" appointment is made.
Meczywor suggested that the seventh member could be a town employee, a member of a different town committee or someone with experience in law enforcement.
"Allowing each member of the [select] board to nominate one person to be on the screening committee we felt was appropriate," Meczywor said, referring to the Public Safety Subcommittee. "We wanted each person on the board to have representation."
Meczywor and Caccamo asked the other members of the board to each ask one resident to serve as their representative and pass the name along to Caccamo's office.
While the subcommittee's recommendation on process was accepted by the board, two members pushed back on the subcommittee's recommendation for a salary range to be included in a job posting for the new chief.
Caccamo shared data collected by the subcommittee showing that chief salaries in Berkshire County range from a low of $110,000 per year in Sheffield and Cheshire to a high of $206,000 per year in Pittsfield. The average is $131,696, and the median is about $128,000, Caccamo said.
Adams currently is in the bottom third of the county when it comes to salaries at $117,000 per year.
"Chief Sorrell was candid [with the subcommittee] about what he thought would attract a good, qualified candidate," Meczywor said. "Ultimately, the subcommittee was thinking $130,000 to $135,000, obviously commensurate with experience and subject to negotiation."
Board member Joseph J. Nowak immediately challenged that recommendation.
"I'm not a strong believer that more money makes a better police chief," Nowak said. "I think that's way too much. We can't continue to spend in this community. Every time I come into a meeting, we're giving someone a raise or a step raise.
"We just don't have the money."
Nowak said he was struck by the fact that North Adams currently pays its chief $120,000 per year to lead a much larger department in a higher-population community.
"We have our share of trouble, but North Adams is a city with a lot of problems going on on an ongoing basis," Nowak said. "I'm not for giving someone $135,000. I just think that's too much. We're going to spend ourselves out of existence in this community."
Kelly F. Rice agreed, telling her colleagues that she thought a salary range of $120,000 to $130,000 would be more appropriate.
"$135,000 is too much money," Rice said.
Caccamo said that he, Meczywor and Bartlett would take that feedback to the Public Safety Subcommittee for it to consider as it drafts a job description to post when the select board decides to advertise for the position.
"Chief Sorrell has offered himself to any board member who wants to talk about [the job description]," Caccamo said. "He has good connections around the county. He has a lot of good information that may come out."
Sorrell made an appearance at Wednesday's meeting – through Caccamo, who read into the record a letter the interim chief sent the select board regarding Tuesday's National Night out celebration in the town.
" ‘[The APD officers] took time out of their busy lives and schedules because they understand the importance of community and community outreach,' " Caccamo read from Sorrell's letter. "All are a credit to the Town of Adams and the Adams Police Department."
Sorrell singled out Sgt. Gregory Onorato for organizing the event.
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