Stoughton Selectmen Approve Three-Year Contract for Police Chief Shastany

Gathered in the community room of the Stoughton Police Station, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday evening to give , the man largely credited with reforming the Stoughton Police Department, a three-year contract to continue leading the SPD.

Usually the Selectmen meet at the , but with the elevator there out of service, the Board met at the , which provided an appropriate setting to make the announcement.

"The contract recognizes the Chief for the work he has done...and the work that he is looking to do going ahead," Board of Selectmen Chair John Stagnone said.

"I am very happy to lead the best law enforcement [department] in Massachusetts," Shastany said. "The future is very bright!"

Shastany was sworn in as Chief of the Stoughton Police Department in April of 2010.

This three-year contract is not an extension. Per past precedent, Shastany had to join the Stoughton Professional Administrative Employees Association union (SPAEA), making him the only Chief in the state that was part of the union, he said.

This impeded Shastany from performing certain essential tasks, like being able to participate in contract negotiations with his staff.  Former Town Manager Francis T. Crimmins, Jr. recognized this as an issue, Shastany said, and the Board of Selectmen worked to remove him from the union, making a new contract necessary.

The three-year pact will pay Shastany $150,000 a year (this includes stipends and educational incentives, Stagnone said), a rate which puts his salary more in line with what other area police chiefs make.

The contract, which has been months in the making (it has been listed as an executive session agenda item or consent agenda item for the last five Selectmen meetings dating back to June 19), is retroactive to July 1 of this year and expires June 30, 2015.

Shastany said he is "very satisfied" with the deal. "I love my job," he said. "Stoughton deserves nothing but good news."

The contract gives the Chief 12 paid holidays and up to 20 vacation days, in addition to one personal day and bereavement days, if necessary.

Shastany is eligible for a 1-3 percent raise in FY14 and FY15, subject to receiving a "satisfactory or better" performance evaluation. Shastany is also in line to receive a $3,000 bonus when the Department receives accreditation and $3,000 each subsequent year provided the SPD retains its accredited status.

When Shastany was sworn in as Chief he said he would bring a "culture of accountability" to the department, and has delivered, overseeing the reworking of "every function [and] every process," helping to improve the SPD's image.

Shastany said detractors said he would be a "fool" to take the job as police chief in Stoughton. "I'm proving they're fools for saying it can't be done," he said.

This winter, Shastany completed a 10-week training session at the in Virginia, where he was as one of six Section Leaders representing the 260 law enforcement officials attending that session of the Academy.

The SPD was honored this May for , a critical step on the road to becoming accredited, which if all goes well, will happen in May of 2013, Shastany said.

Shastany is currently recovering from emergency back surgery, which was performed last Tuesday, the Chief said. About three weeks ago, on the second day of his first summer vacation since becoming Stoughton's Chief, Shastany felt an intense pain in his back.

He ruptured a disc and a quarter-sized piece of disc traveled up his spine pinching nerves, he said.

Shastany, who was (which went viral) to convince the 2011 Annual Town Meeting of the need to purchase tasers for the department, said he would rather take "24 hours worth of tasering" than experience the back pain he was suffering.

"There ain't no greater pain than back pain," Shastany said.

The Chief is on the mend, however, and has been working from home in the meantime. He hopes to be back at the station in three weeks. He is already planning his next summer adventure - climbing Mount Washington for charity next July.

"We're very excited to have the Chief finally signed on and looking forward to working with him when he gets back from his medical leave," Stagnone said.