HANLON, Oct. 2, 2025 — Candidates for Hanlon police chief told the Select Board on Thursday that community engagement, recruitment and careful budget management should guide the department’s next leader.

“Protect and serve means, just that. Protect the community, serve the community in any capacity we can,” Sergeant Tom (candidate) told the board when asked how community policing supports that mission. Captain Carl Mazafaro of the Longmeadow Police Department and Detective Sergeant Daniel Bruno of the East Longmeadow Police Department gave similar answers, describing community policing as the foundation of their careers and saying they would seek visible, regular outreach if appointed.

All three candidates identified staffing as a near-term priority. Tom said he would work to bring on part-time officers and one full-time hire quickly to relieve patrol stress and reduce overtime. He also said he would create a vehicle-replacement plan to address high-mileage cruisers. Mazafaro and Bruno said they would prioritize training and professional development for sergeants and officers to build internal capacity.

“Get the right people for this town,” Bruno told the board, saying recruitment should start with high school and local college outreach and continue through professional networks. Mazafaro, who said he manages grant funding in his current agency, emphasized using available grants to offset capital costs and training.

Budget experience was a recurring theme. The board’s town administrator asked each candidate to describe experience developing and administering budgets. Mazafaro said he manages roughly $433,000 in grants for his department and is familiar with Munis. Tom cited private-sector budgeting experience and said he would be “judicious” in expenditures and look for efficiencies. Bruno said he has participated in capital planning for cruiser and equipment replacement and has hands-on experience preparing budget requests.

Each candidate said they expect to split time between administrative duties and on-call operational responsibilities in a small-town department, with early emphasis on stabilizing staffing and supporting front-line supervisors.

No hiring decision was made at the meeting; the board said it will review scores and recordings before deciding at the next meeting.

— Reporting by the Hanlon Select Board meeting transcript review team