'We were definitely all surprised': A small town standoff over police funding

BLANDFORD, Mass. — An entire police department walking off the job is not something you see every day.

"We were definitely all surprised," Blandford, Massachusetts' Select Board Chair Cara Letendre said. 
Monday night, the town's interim police chief made a stunning announcement: the entire department is quitting.

"I'm really disappointed. And I think that the way it was done was very unprofessional," Letendre said. 
The way it was done was through a press release sent directly to the media. It was signed by all four of the town's officers -- including Chief Roberta Sarnacki.

In it, the department outlined its concerns, including complaints about low wages, broken vehicles, sub-standard bulletproof vests and poor radio coverage.

Letendre says the select board was already working on all these issues but one.

“The vests I had not heard anything about,” Letendre said.

The mass resignation of the police force followed a meeting between Sarnacki and town officials a few hours earlier.

In that meeting, the interim chief was told she would need to reapply for her job because her original 30-day appointment was up.

“And she noted at that point that she understood why we were doing it but did not agree with it,” Letendre explained.

In that press release, which Sarnacki sent Boston 25 News in lieu of answering questions, she notes the board's failure to extend her appointment.

An entire police force quitting sounds dramatic. But the impact on public safety in Blandford isn't likely to be huge. Every officer – including the chief -- worked part time. And the majority of 911 calls were already being routed through state police.

In a statement, Mass. State Police assured Blandford that will continue and more, stating: “We maintain our commitment to the town and will assume any additional duties required in the wake of the resignations of local officers.”

Almost everyone in Blandford we spoke with had an opinion about what the police department did.

Several felt abandoned, a few felt sorry for officers who may have ruined careers, but they wouldn’t say these things on camera; only in small town whispers.

MORE: Entire Blandford Police Department resigns, effective immediately

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