Dartmouth’s not-so-new police chief officially sworn in
Mar 25, 2019
Nearly two years after being appointed Dartmouth’s acting police chief, Brian Levesque is officially dropping the “acting” designation.
At the March 25 Select Board meeting, Levesque was officially sworn in as Dartmouth’s next police chief.
It has been a long time coming. Levesque took over the department after former chief Bob Szala suffered a heart attack in April 2017. When Szala, a 34-year veteran of the department, announced his retirement in December of that year, Levesque was named acting chief.
In February 2018, the Select Board voted to appoint Levesque to the position, but it took until March 2019 to resolve contractual and retirement-related issues with Szala and get his retirement officially confirmed through the state retirement board.
With his family and fellow officers packed into the Select Board meeting room, Select Board members praised Levesque’s leadership and the Dartmouth Police Department before Town Clerk Lynn Medeiros swore Levesque into his not-so-new role.
“It’s a very exciting moment for me,” Levesque said. “This was essentially two years as acting chief. It’s been a rewarding experience, but to be officially named chief is going to just add more credibility to my position.”
Levesque has served the Dartmouth Police Department for nearly 20 years, rising through the ranks to Deputy Chief from an interim police officer, explained Select Board Chairman Shawn McDonald before the swearing in ceremony.
“This is the perfect time to remove that moniker ‘acting,’” McDonald said. “We have what we know to be a police force in the area that’s second to none.”
Levesque thanked the Select Board and the community for their support of the town’s men and women in blue, and his fellow officers.
“I’ve always been proud of the work we do, as well as the services we’re able to provide to the community,” Levesque said. “I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize the great work the officers do on a daily basis. They’re the ones who answer calls for service from citizens at all hours of the day or night.”
