Norwich
The 59-year-old Robinson, who has been with the Norwich force for 17 years, called his retirement “bittersweet.”
“I am excited to start a new chapter in my life but am sad to end one that I’ve spent over half my life doing,” Robinson wrote in a letter to the Norwich Selectboard on Wednesday night. “The town of Norwich and the Norwich Police Department have been one of the finest departments I have been associated with throughout my career.”
Robinson started his career in Springfield, Vt., and worked for the Hartford Police Department before moving to Norwich in the early 2000s. He has served as chief for 14 years.
In an interview on Thursday, he said he is most proud of the relationship the police department has developed with the Norwich community.
Policing isn’t always pretty, but there were things that balanced that, Robinson said.
“When you make a difference in somebody’s life, it makes it all worthwhile,” he said.
Robinson will work full time through the middle of April, and officially retire on April 12.
Norwich Town Manager Herb Durfee said the Selectboard on Wednesday night accepted Robinson’s letter of resignation. He will be “sorely” missed, Durfee said.
“He is overall an excellent example of a police chief and the type of individual who has interacted well with the community. As a result, there is a nice relationship that the police department has with the community and vice versa,” Durfee said on Thursday. “He represents that stellar individual that we are going to sorely miss.”
The news is still fresh, Durfee said, so town officials aren’t yet sure the direction they will take in selecting Norwich’s next chief.
“If we can hire someone internally … I certainly will,” he noted. “If I have to do a search, I will.”
Just when he would select the next candidate isn’t clear.
Robinson said he recommends Norwich Sgt. Jen Frank, formerly with the Windsor Police Department, for the post, though he acknowledged that he won’t get to make that decision.
Frank, who Robinson recruited to the Norwich force within the past year, currently is second in command.
“She has made a positive impact on everyone who she has come in contact with,” he said. She has the “education, the compassion and the passion for the job.”
Robinson’s current salary is about $90,000.
After Robinson retires in April, he will shift gears and run the Orford campground he and his wife purchased last year. The Pastures Campground, a well-known and established campground off Route 10, offers 82 campsites on 12 acres.
He plans to work full time throughout the busy season.
“It’s time to try something else,” he said.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.