Massey Ready To Take On Chatham Police Lieutenant Role

CHATHAM – William Massey has filled almost every role at the Chatham Police Department.
He’s been a patrolman, school resource officer, records officer, lead instructor in the department’s citizens police academy, court prosecutor and detective. Now he’s stepping into his newest role as the department’s new lieutenant.
Massey was promoted to the position recently by Town Manager Jill Goldsmith to fill the vacancy created when Lt. Sarah Harris was named deputy chief. 
The lieutenant position has significant responsibilities, commanding daily patrols, directly supervising the department’s sergeants and patrol officers and overseeing investigations and records.
“I’ve known many lieutenants here,” said Massey, who joined the department as a patrolman in 2005. “I know what the job is. I think I’m ready. I’m glad that they have confidence in me.”
Massey was promoted to sergeant in 2010, when he also became the school resource officer, first for the Chatham School District and then for the two Chatham schools in the Monomoy district. It was a function he enjoyed, and even after stepping down from the role, he continued to supervise the school resource officer and stayed in touch with the schools; the day he was interviewed he’d spent time at the schools for training.
“I wanted to stay connected to that,” he said. 
Asked to pick a role in the department that was the most rewarding, Massey struggled, noting that they are all important. School resource officer was “the most positive,” he said. “The kids are just so excited.”
He emphasized training as important in his experience and for the department, which has evolved considerably from when he joined the Southampton Police Department in 1997. “It’s a very different job,” he said. Because the department is relatively small, officers must have a broad general understanding of the community and the types of calls that come into the department. Massey does his part in training young officers, teaching juvenile investigation at the Municipal Police Training Institute.
Originally from Northampton, Massey holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Curry College and is certified as an academic and staff instructor. He served in the Navy prior to embarking on a law enforcement career, working for the Amherst College Campus Police before joining the Southampton department prior to being hired in Chatham in 2005. Massey lives in Harwich with his wife and two children, both of whom attend the Monomoy schools.
Massey said he plans to be an “effective and valuable” member of the department’s administration.
“I always appreciate the support of the community,” he said, “not just for me but for the whole department.”
A promotion ceremony for Massey and Officer Joshua Wisniewski, who will fill the sergeant vacancy created by Massey’s promotion, was scheduled to be held Wednesday, Oct. 14.