Devine Named Stoughton's Deputy Chief of Police

The newly accredited Stoughton Police Department has officially filled its newly created deputy chief position. 

Steadily climbing the ranks of the Stoughton Police Department since his arrival in 1999, Robert Devine was appointed Deputy Chief of Stoughton Police on Tuesday.

Devine, who has in effect been Chief Paul Shastany's right-hand man while serving as Executive Officer, is now officially second in command in his new position. 

On the opening night of Stoughton's Annual Town Meeting last year, town meeting representatives voted to establish the position of deputy police chief. The state legislature also signed off on creating the position. 

"Obviously, I'm thrilled," Devine said. "We work very hard here. It says a lot about how far the we've come as a department that we were able to put this position in place...whether it was me or anyone else, [the position] was needed."

"I am thrilled that he is my new deputy Chief," Shastany said, who added that he and Devine are "cut from the same cloth" when it comes to belief in proactive community policing. 

"He is very experienced," Shastany continued. "He shares the same [policing] philosophy that I have...he's very intelligent and understands what policing should look like in the future."

Joining the SPD in 1999, Devine served as school resource officer from 2001-2004; served as sergeant from 2004-2006; became a lieutenant in 2006; and became the Executive Officer in 2008. 

He is still active working with and for the youth in town, with programs like the Police Explorers Academy and OASIS (Organizing Against Substance Abuse in Stoughton). 

Shastany said there was recently a one day assessment center for the final candidates for the position. 

"As I expected, he was excellent," the chief said. 

Shastany has long talked about the importance of being a "proactive police department" ("getting to the problems before they manifest themselves as crime"). The creation of the deputy chief position is part of a continued effort to restructure the department to assure proactive policing is in place.

He said the addition of Deputy will allow him to concentrate on providing better leadership and deal with more administrative issues, which between licensing and public records requests have increased. 

The position is not part of the union.

"This clears any ambiguity," Devine said, who was a member of the union when he was the Executive Officer.

The position establishes a "clear second in command," Devine said, which the department did not have before. 

Currently, the department has a chief, a deputy, three lieutenants, nine sergeants and 43 patrol officers, Shastany said. In addition to Devine's official swearing in and badge pinning, there will soon be ceremonies for a new sergeant and acting lieutenant, as a result of Devine's promotion. 

"In three years it seems we have come light years," Shastany said. "The town has been awesome to us. We want to return the favor to [provide] the best services possible."

Devine said the department's success is a result of the "collective efforts of the officers of the department who make us what we are."

As for his new role as deputy chief, Devine said:

"I don't pan on letting the officers of this department, the Town of Stoughton or Chief Shastany down."

"I love this work, I love working with people. I love being able to affect peoples' lives. I love where I am right now," he said.