CORNISH — Longtime Cornish Police Chief Doug Hackett will retire at the end of the year.
The Board of Selectmen appointed Cornish Police Lt. Justin Vivian to take over as chief at its meeting Monday night. Hackett noted that he’s spent the last three years mentoring Vivian for the role.
“I am proud to report, with full confidence, he is ready to lead the department into the next chapter,” Hackett, a Cornish resident, wrote.
Hackett has served as police chief of the three-person department for 39 years.
He began his career as police officer in Unity when he was 18, shortly after graduating from Stevens High School in 1985. He joined the Cornish Police Department when he was 19 and has been working for Hanover Regional Emergency Communications Center for around the same amount of time.
“I’ve literally spent my entire adult life serving,” he said.
Hackett said he was “immensely proud” of what he accomplished with the police department. Those include building a new police station and instituting body and cruiser cameras.
“This has been by far the most difficult decision I have made in my life. I loved this job, this town, and everyone in it,” Hackett wrote in an announcement posted the town’s website. “Unfortunately, my current medical condition does not allow me to continue to fulfill the necessary duties of Police Chief, nor does it look like it ever will.”
Hackett, 58, was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, a form of cancer that is attacking his heart, in May, he said in a phone interview. He has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment since June.
“My heart is not in a great place,” he said, adding that he might need a heart transplant in the future.
Due to his illness, he took a step back from his part-time role as police chief and has been focused on administrative duties instead of patrolling.
“I miss it a lot. It was such a part of my life,” he said. “This is a year early. I was hoping to get my 40 (years).”
Cornish currently has one full-time officer, Vivian, and two part-time officers, including Hackett. He said he is not quite certain yet if or when another part-time officer will be hired after his retirement.
Hackett also works full time as director of communications at the Hanover Regional Emergency Communications Center and has continued on in that job while undergoing treatment.
Since he started telling people about his diagnosis, he said family, friends and community members have reached out with support, including officers he helped mentor early on in their careers.
“I probably am one of the luckiest people in the entire world,” he said. “It’s just humbling. Very humbling.”