Chester Hires New Chief

By Layla Kalinen
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CHESTER, Vt.— Lieutenant Thomas Williams will be sworn in on December 14th as the Chief of Police in Chester.

He discussed how he took a winding road that led him to become so active in law enforcement, the most rewarding parts of his work in law enforcement, and how the CPD has been working on building a bridge with the local population on what they call ‘community policing’.

Williams said it was not just one moment but a series of experiences that pushed him to pursue a career in law enforcement and protective services. “It started back in high school, and based on my career search I have always told my kids to have a list of things. Always have a plan A, a plan B and always have plan c because things fall apart. Timing is a huge thing and things have to fall into place,” he stated. “I originally wanted to be an Air Force fighter pilot. Things fell through the first round of scholarships. I then went on to two years in college at the local community college.”

But with a lack of funds he went to his plan B and pursued a career in law enforcement. Williams stated, “Plan B was to become a state trooper.. I grew up in New York and I believe it was age 20 that you had to take the test to work as a state trooper. I wasn’t 20.”

“A friend of mine who was a trooper up here said a friend of ours is coming down from [Vermont] and maybe she can give you some insight,” Williams said. “She told me to come to Vermont. They allow you to take the test at age 18. You have to be 21 when you’re commissioned. But come up here and take it. You will probably have to take it a few times because the process is very competitive.”

“So I came up and took it and here I am 33 years later. January 8th, 1990 was my first day in the Academy Of Police. I graduated the same year from the Academy as Chief Cloud, ” Williams said.

While he was looking into law enforcement he continued his aeronautical studies and joined the local ambulance service. “My actual education part started after high school at Hudson Valley Community College. It was right there, down the road from where I worked and it was affordable. So that is where the education piece started,” he recalled.

As continued to pursue a two year degree realizing that he wouldn’t want to be in an office all day long. “At the beginning of it I was focused on engineering. I wanted to get into aeronautical engineering. I was taking all the fun courses- physics, the algebra, chemistry, calculus- all the good stuff.Which I didn’t mind but I decided I didn’t want to sit in an office all day. I wanted to be on the job somehow. And now ironically here I am in an office. Although in this capacity I don’t ever sit in the office all day long,” Williams stated.

Williams has served in several capacities statewide for the VSP as detective in death investigations and fire and explosives. “So the beginning of my education. I would back up my experiences in life prior to that I think were more valuable in life than anything I gained in school. School is cookie cutter- read that- do this,” he said. “I worked for an ambulance service as a certified EMT while I was in college full time and I ran and ran with that. I worked in the cities, Troy, Albany and Schenectady and I saw everything.”

“From my perspective as a kid jumping into the business- you’re in the middle of shootings, car crashes, domestic situations and directly connected to street life that the everyday person doesn’t always see or know about. But these experiences helped me become who I am,” Williams said.

Williams said his experience in more urban and inner city areas was valuable for him as he transitioned as the Vermont State Trooper, to Fire and Explosions Unit to being an death investigator for a few years.

Williams said the Community Policing Policy they are working to implement solidly is a very important concept and sometimes hard to implement based on the overall community’s view of local law enforcement.

“Some people like the police, some are indifferent and some don’t like the police,” Lieutenant Williams said.

“We want to build a community where we are accessible and working with the community to identify criminal activity while also making sure that victims, witnesses and children feel safe around us,” said Williams.

Lieutenant Thomas Williams will be sworn in as Chester Chief Of Police on December 14, 2022 at Chief Cloud’s retirement party.