The man stood erect, his polished dress shoes echoing against the tile as he crossed the bank's lobby. Robert Szala’s smile and icy blue eyes greeted the next customer, and directed her towards the teller.

At least, that’s what might have happened if Dartmouth Police Chief Robert Szala had followed his other dream.

“I actually wanted to be a banker at one time,” said the newly-appointed Szala—pronounced "ZAY-la"—from behind his stately wooden desk. “I wanted to be the greeter who ran the whole show. I liked that guy.”

Somewhere along the line, childhood memories silenced that option, and service began to look more enticing. The Szala family car had a red light and radio to accommodate the chief’s father and former District No. 3 fire chief, Joseph Szala. The father and son duo could hear the tone go off from the headquarters on Route 6—now Station No. 3—and young Szala would sit in the car while his father responded.

“I love the unpredictability that public safety gives,” said Szala. “tThat’s probably it for me, helping people and that adrenaline rush.”

Szala followed that instinct. He started at Bristol Community College, received his Bachelor's in Administration of Justice at Roger Williams University, and then his Masters in Criminal Justice at Anna Maria College in Paxton, where they “offered evening courses back in the '80s,” said the chief.

Szala has sat behind the chief’s desk since March 2015, although hasn’t officially realized the title until July 1, 2016, when former Chief Timothy Lee’s contract ended. Szala then ended his tenure as acting chief to accept a three-year contract as police chief.

“I didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to be chief,” said Szala, explaining that when Lee—a much younger man—was hired in 2010, Szala thought he’d be retiring as a deputy chief. “When this opportunity arose, I felt I had an obligation to the town.”

“It’s a dream come true for me, being born, raised, educated—[Dartmouth High] class of ‘79—lived… everything Dartmouth for me” said Szala.

Szala had started with the Dartmouth Police in 1983, passed the test for sergeant in 1992, became a detective sergeant in 2002, and acting deputy in 2009—“because both captains and the chief retired.”

“[Acting Chief Gary Soares] and I ran the department for almost a year before they found Tim Lee,” said Szala. Then, Lee appointed the now chief to provisional lieutenant, or third in command.

“I was proficient in my duties and I could do the job,” said Szala, explaining that he had skipped two ranks, similar to newly-appointed Deputy Chief Brian Levesque.

As provisional lieutenant, Szala was charged with getting the department accredited, one of his two main accomplishments within his 33 years of service to the Dartmouth Police.

“I was rewriting all the policies and seeing that the day-to-day met the standards of the accreditation commission,” said Szala. The three-year award took two years to acquire, and Szala saw the department was first accredited in 2012 and again under his stint as acting chief in 2015.

“Accrediting proves you’re the best among the best,” said Szala, saying that of the more than 400 town, city, college, and university police departments, Dartmouth is one of 48 accredited agencies. That means it shows efficiency in all areas of policing—including communications, facility, patrolling, record-keeping, etc.—said Szala.

“I’m very proud of that,” he said.

The second accomplishment he is most proud of is the 11 years he spent representing the 70 members of the Dartmouth PD in the union—known as the Dartmouth Police Brotherhood. Szala was elected by his peers to serve as secretary, vice president, and president of the representative body, which focused on contracts and work-related issues.

“Now I’m on the management side of the table,” said Szala, explaining that the chief and deputy are not represented by the union.

As chief, Szala has big responsibilities. In addition to managing a $6.5 million budget, Szala looks after the 72 police in Dartmouth, and the total 91 personnel working in the trailers that now serve as an office.

After bacterium legionella in the hot water system made an officer sick and voters rejected an $8.6 million renovation at Town Meeting in the spring, Szala’s been charged with coming up with a plan for the department's headquarters. He’s working with an advisory group to design and develop a new station.

“I want an educated public, an educated voter,” said Szala, who recently asked the Select Board to delay any vote on a new station until April 2017. “I felt the November election wasn’t going to allow me to put information out there and the [Select Board] agreed,” he said.

Szala is currently pushing for the Gidley School location on Tucker Road to handle the 25,000 calls the police station averages every year. The new station has to work for 57 years so it can encompass the growth, said Szala, who plans on having a location proposal for the new building by October.

“We’ve had basements, rehabs, and trailers to work out of,” said Szala. “The location was wrong,” he added, saying that 62-68 percent of calls are in the Route 6 area. “This group we have is looking at all areas in the Route 6 corridor.”

But battling bureaucracies isn’t the only part of Szala’s job. “I’ve changed fuses, tires… I’ve chased a rat out of a garage. We’re not just law enforcement. And we’re delivering Narcan now. Dartmouth Police officers are all trained to administer nasal Narcan," he said, referring to the medication that reverses the effects of a narcotic overdose.

The police department has gotten involved in everything from Dartmouth Public School Superintendent Bonny Gifford’s Healthy Dartmouth initiative—educating the community on substance abuse and prevention—to community outreach.

“It’s nice to be approachable,” said Szala, explaining that he’ll be strolling down Elm Street during the Padanaram Festival on July 30. “It gives people a chance to see us outside the uniform.”

Sipping on the one cup of “real coffee” he allows himself daily—his 12-year girlfriend Laura Broekel is the owner of Down to Earth Natural Foods on Kempton Street and feeds him Kaffree Noma and “tree bark at home”—Szala said he’s proud to be the Dartmouth police chief.

“This community supports its department and shows it every chance they can,” said Szala, referencing the Blue Light Campaign, up-to-date equipment, and well wishes sent in response to the Dallas and Baton Rouge police shootings. “I understand I’m accountable to you, the taxpayer.”

Szala also credited the people closest to him with his success. Confidential Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police Shannon Lyonnais arrived in 2010. “If she was to quit tomorrow, I’m leaving too,” said Szala.

As for Broekel, “she’s been my biggest supporter,” said Szala.

The department is constantly evolving. Szala recently saw two officers graduate from the academy and has issued them to field training until October. Four new recruits start on August 1 to replace the three retirees that have left and the one 65-year-old that will retire in November.

For the daily wear-and-tear, Szala reflects on his father’s words: “I can still remember him saying ‘Just keep going. Keep working hard.’”