Search is on for new commish

With a Dec. 30 deadline quickly approaching, the Village of Rockville Centre is searching for a replacement for retiring Police Commissioner Jack McKeon.

McKeon and several other long-time members of the village police force officially announced their retirements, which go into effect by year’s end, on Oct. 28 after weeks of speculation. At that time, the village had yet to start the search for a replacement for McKeon or for fellow officer Inspector Richard Fantry, who started the same day as McKeon and will leave on the same day. Both McKeon and Fantry wonder if they will get to train their replacements before their time is up.

“We got a bunch of resumes, and it’s a process of evaluating those resumes,” said Village Administrator Frank Quigley. “And stage two would be, over the course of the next few days, identifying follow-ups for interviews.”

With the retirement of seven police officers with well over 150 years of experience among them, the village is facing a payout of about $1.4 million for the exiting officers because of agreements in their contracts.

To generate a greater influx of resumes, the village posted a classified ad in the New York Times seeking a police commissioner—a move which has some residents wondering why the village isn’t just looking to promote from within the department.

“People ask me that question, and the answer is that we’re looking for the best possible candidate for this position,” Quigley said. “And if that person is inside [the department], wonderful. If that person is elsewhere, also wonderful. Whoever the best possible person is.”

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