Ryan Couture named Hubbardston police chief after more than 20 years in department

HUBBARDSTON ― Ryan Couture has been officially appointed the town’s next chief of police.

“It is an honor and a pleasure to be named the next chief of police for the Town of Hubbardston,” Couture said. “I want to thank the Select Board for their trust and support in me for this position. It means a lot to me to lead this department into the future and build upon what we’ve done here.”

Couture, whose first day in the position was on Wednesday, March 1, has served with the Hubbardston Police Department for over 20 years and has served as interim police chief for six months. Prior to that, he had served as a sergeant for eight years and as a detective, patrol officer, and dispatcher for 12 years.

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Among his first objectives as chief, Couture explained, was to begin process of hiring additional employees at the department.

“We’re a little short right now – we don’t have a lot of applicants coming in,” he said. “So, I’ll be looking to increase some outreach for recruiting and retention here.”

Town officials applaud Couture's appointment

Town officials applauded Couture’s appointment as chief.

“I’m pleased that we were able to promote a qualified candidate from inside our own police department,” said Jeff Williams, Hubbardston select board chair. “Ryan has served the town with the utmost integrity for 20 years, and I look forward to seeing where the department goes with him at the helm.”

Town Administrator Nathan Boudreau stated that Couture possessed the skills and professionalism to uphold the department’s proud history.

“The past several years have been hard in the field of public safety and policing, even in rural municipalities, and Ryan has shown determination in his community spirit and dedication to the department,” Boudreau said.

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Couture trained for position under Chief Perron

Couture was trained for the position by former Police Chief Dennis Perron, who spent the last few years showing Couture the ropes when it came to budgeting and managing the day-to-day operations of the department. Couture was appointed interim chief upon Perron’s retirement in 2022.

“Ryan is one of the most honest, sincere, and caring people you could have placed in that position, which is incredibly important in this day and age,” Perron said. “He has the integrity and police ability to lead the department for a long time.”

Couture said he appreciated the time Perron took to prepare him for the position as chief.

“He had me doing a lot of his duties over the last four years or so, kind of like an on-the-job training for me, and he took me under his wing and it’s really worked out,” Couture said.

Couture has a degree in criminal justice and has completed the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Association training, in addition to numerous other criminal justice credentials, licenses, and department certifications.

A ceremonial swearing-in will be held at 6 p.m. at the Hubbardston Senior Center on Monday, March 20.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Ryan Couture is Hubbardston Police chief after working as sergeant