Massachusetts State Police have vowed to keep a close watch over a western Massachusetts town after the entire local police force quit Monday night.
The resignation of the acting chief of police and three officers who make up the town of Blandford’s part-time police force created headlines, and led the State Police to issue a statement reassuring the town of 1,200 people would have law enforcement protection.
State police said all 911 calls in Blandford are now directed to the Russell State Police Barracks.
In a statement, State Police said troopers have responded to routine and emergency calls in Blandford for decades and provided coverage during the overnight shift.
The town’s former acting chief reportedly attributed the mass resignations to unheeded complaints about unsafe working conditions.
Blandford selectmen had reportedly been discussing merging with a neighboring town’s police department.
