Killington agrees to sponsor third officer
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Ryan Soos poses in front of his truck at the Sherburne Volunteer Fire Department. Soos is the sole candidate for police officer in Killington. Cassandra Hotaling / Rutland Herald |
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By Cristina Kumka Staff Writer - Published: May 15, 2009
Killington Town Manager Kathleen Ramsay will interview the sole candidate to be the town's latest special police officer by the end of this month.
Ramsay is tasked with appointing the candidate, Killington's Ryan Soos, before the town pays him $12 an hour for training at the Vermont Police Academy, enabling him to become the third part-time law enforcement officer on the mountain by this October.
First Constable Scott Bigelow, the town's top law enforcer for the past 20 years, earlier this year recommended that the town hire a third officer because of an increasing need to cover the 47 miles that make up the mountain town.
"We needed a third guy," Bigelow said.
Last week, Killington's three-member Select Board agreed.
The hiring will be at no additional cost to taxpayers and all expenses, including Soos' hourly wages and equipment to outfit his personal car for police work, will fall under the town's $57,000 budget this year for constables, Ramsay said.
Soos, a 33-year-old property manager and graduate of Woodstock Union High School, had a couple of things going for him when he decided to apply for the position.
Bigelow has known him since Soos was 5 years old. Soos became interested in police work at the age of 12.
He will report to Bigelow, who patrols the town on a part-time basis with nine-year veteran Second Constable Whit Montgomery.
His job responsibilities will include reporting to emergency calls, issuing tickets and making arrests, according to Bigelow.
Some residents and town officials expressed concern late last year that there wasn't a law enforcement officer who worked in town to respond to calls during the daytime.
"I enjoy helping people and want to give back to the community I grew up in," Soos said Tuesday.
Hiring a third officer is not a new practice for town officials.
Resident Howard Zack was the last special officer to be hired by the town and then served as the town's first constable for 35 years before his passing in January 2007, according to Bigelow.
cristina.kumka@rutlandherald.com
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