Block Island has a new police chief. What to know
NEW SHOREHAM – Block Island has a new police chief, longtime member of the force Paul Deane, who has served as interim chief since October.
Town Manager Maryanne Crawford recommended Deane as chief at Monday night’s Town Council meeting. His contract will be presented to the council next Wednesday, Crawford said in an email.
Thirteen people applied for the post, and the recommendation came after a vetting process and interview process by an eight-member team that included former Chief William McCombe.
The Town Council accepted Crawford's recommendation Monday.
Former chief steps away for personal reasons
Deane has led the Block Island Police Department since former Chief John P. Lynch stepped down on Oct. 2 for personal reasons.
Lynch submitted his resignation in September, saying in an email that it was a “personal decision for me and my family.”
Lynch led the department for less than a year after retiring as police chief in Wilton, Connecticut. According to Good Morning Wilton, Lynch spent almost four decades with the Wilton police, rising through the ranks from dispatcher to the top post in 2017.
Lynch came to the Block Island department following a tumultuous summer in 2022 in which multiple brawls broke out at Ballard's Beach Resort during a Reggae Fest, with some of the altercations spilling onto the docks where attendees were waiting for the last ferry home.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Block Island hires longtime member of police force as new chief
