WHITMAN – The Select Board approved Police Chief Timothy Hanlon’s request to make conditional offers to police candidates on the Civil Service list on Tuesday, June 20.
Hanlon had requested, and was granted authority to call for the list on May 23, as he anticipated the need for an additional officer to address staffing concerns.
“We do have a need for an additional two officers [to replace those] who are going to retire in the next few months,” he said about the approved call for the list.
There were 13 candidates who signed the list, indicating they would accept a position.
“We started at the top, and concentrated on the first six candidates and they are all spectacular,” Hanlon said. Civil Service rules require that to request two, which Whitman did, “We are basically bound to the top five, but if someone washes out, or has something in their background … you can pass them over for another candidate. That is not the case here.”
He gave a short outline of each candidate, but recommended the first three. Roger Kineavy has been with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office for about four years. A Marine veteran, the Whitman resident grew up in Weymouth and has also been a corrections officer. Joshua Kelleher, a lifelong Whitman resident, graduated from WHRHS and Bridgewater State University. He presently works with the Barnstable Department of Natural Resources and a volunteer with the West Barnstable Fire Department. A little farther along in the hiring process for the Environmental Police, he has said he would accept a position there if it opened first. Alyssa Andrews, a resident of Whitman since 2002, she is a WHRHS and SNHU graduate. Her college degree is in criminal justice and she is currently employed by the TSA at Logan and volunteers at the Pine Street Inn in Boston.
He recommended conditional offers of employment to the first two candidates and Andrews be offered a conditional offer should one other candidates be unable to meet the conditions of employment or decline the offer.
The board approved the appointment of John Cannizzo as auxiliary administrator for the Whitman Police Department, for a one-year stint effective June 30. His position as an auxiliary officer himself would terminate on June 20.
The position pays for the actual hours worked, usually about 24 hours per week, at the same rate as he had before.
Kevin Shantler, president of the Whitman Police Union, however, said his union opposed the appointment of Cannizzo, as he is a nonunion part-time employee as a special police officer who has been decertified by the state’s police reform law.
“Since Cannizzo is no longer a certified police officer, the union stipulates that only a certified police officer should oversee, train and schedule other police officers, including auxiliary officers,” he said.
The union also argued the job opportunity should have been put out to the public for interested applicants and a proper interview process should be held.
Shantler said Cannizzo is currently under internal investigation centering on allegations by another auxiliary officers, and, as the union believes, he performed vehicle maintenance as well as his stated job as an auxiliary officer. Considering him for the position could send the wrong message. The union recommended continuing tabling the issue of appointing Cannizzo until the internal investigation is complete.
Hanlon said he is more than qualified, has experience and would be working under the supervision of higher-ranking officers.
“I would see no reason to hire anybody else for the position, number one, and again, he’s held the position and done the job,” Hanlon said. “We tabled this last time to hear the union’s issues and, they’ve been heard. … and they haven’t been dismissed, but at the same time, they haven’t been validated, either.”