Little Compton council confirms full‑time lateral hire to replace Sgt. LeClaire

The Little Compton Town Council on an evening vote confirmed an offer of full‑time employment to Bridal McKinnon, approving a lateral transfer to replace Sergeant Ryan LeClaire.

Council discussion leading up to the vote focused on the merits of hiring a veteran officer through a lateral process that avoids sending the candidate through the police academy. Unidentified Speaker 2 described the approach as cost‑saving and practical, saying the town was hiring “a certified police officer who’s in good physical and good mental health” and describing the candidate as “a unicorn” because he would “not have to train” and could assume supervisory, investigative and prosecution‑related tasks.

The council moved and seconded the confirmation motion and voted in favor. The hire was presented as a direct replacement for Sergeant Ryan LeClaire; council members underscored the candidate’s local knowledge and existing contacts, and several members welcomed him back to the community.

The transcript contains inconsistent spellings and references for the candidate: he is referred to as Brendan, Brandon, and in the formal motion text as Bridal McKinnon. The council motion and vote used the name shown in the meeting packet and on the motion. The council also discussed that the lateral hire would allow the town to avoid academy costs and place an experienced officer quickly into detective, courtroom and background‑investigation duties.

The council recessed briefly during the discussion to admit additional attendees and reconvened before taking the motion. The council did not provide a public tally of individual votes in the transcript beyond the unanimous “aye” responses recorded at the meeting.

The next procedural step recorded in the meeting was the formal confirmation vote; the candidate’s start date, terms of employment and any required administrative paperwork were not specified in the public record excerpt provided.