MONTAGUE — After 36 years with the Montague Police Department, including seven years at the helm, Chief Christopher Williams is retiring.

Williams, 57, plans to leave the department in December when his contract ends, or possibly sooner if the town can hire a replacement before then.

“It’s just time to move on and give somebody else the opportunity to be chief and serve the town and the citizens,” Williams said.

Williams said he first joined the department 36 years ago as a part-time officer, then started working there full-time 30 years ago. He decided to retire due to several factors, he said, but he primarily just feels it’s time to step down.

“Other retirees all said, ‘You’ll know when it’s time,’ and it’s time,” Williams said. “It’s not any one reason. It’s just, I’m maxed out pay-wise and there’s no other room for movement. So I’m just gonna take the opportunity to retire and hopefully be a part of the process of hiring a new chief.”

He added that, having spent 36 years with the department and having previously served in the military, he has reached the maximum retirement benefits he can receive.

In retirement, Williams said he hopes to spend more time hiking, cycling and being with his dog. He will also keep busy working part-time to conduct traffic detail and as a bus driver for F.M. Kuzmeskus.

“Those are my immediate plans, but if something else comes along, we’ll see,” Williams said.

Looking back on his career with the department, Williams said he enjoyed the camaraderie and spending time with staff, and he will miss his dispatchers, sergeants and patrol officers. He said no particular moments have stood out over his career, but he is proud of the team he built.

“I am proud that I was able to add an 18th officer and a fifth sergeant. We hired a new person and promoted a patrolman to sergeant. Most departments aren’t lucky enough to be given the opportunity to add staff,” he said. “I was glad that I was able to do that.”

Williams added that he has also enjoyed that he got to work his way up in the department. While working as a staff sergeant in 2007, he was able to enjoy leading a team while avoiding some of the administrative duties that are involved with the chief’s role.

“I really enjoyed my time being a staff sergeant because you’re the senior leadership for patrol and the sergeants, other than the chief. ... The staff sergeant basically runs the day-to-day operations,” Williams said. “I really enjoyed my time there and I missed it at times as chief.”

To replace Williams, the Montague Selectboard will be creating a police chief hiring committee made up of a Selectboard member, a few citizens, Town Administrator Walter Ramsey and a Police Department representative.

“We are still working out what that process is going to be like, but we anticipate having involvement from the good residents here in Montague,” Selectboard Chair Matthew Lord said at a recent Selectboard meeting. “If people are interested in serving on a search committee for the next Montague chief of police, please contact Walter Ramsey.”

Williams said he would like to be involved in the process of finding his successor and he hopes the hiring committee seeks a candidate with strong communication skills and a loyalty to the department.

The police chief hiring committee will look at both internal and external candidates. Williams said he has heard from a few current employees, as well as from chiefs in other towns who grew up in Montague, who may be interested in the position.

Williams said if the town finds its next chief before he leaves in December, he will help show his successor the ropes, whether it be teaching an internal candidate the duties of being chief or teaching an external candidate about the town of Montague and the people that make up its Police Department.

“If a former chief gets the job, they’ll know a lot of the responsibilities,” Williams said, “but if it’s someone who hasn’t been chief, then there’s going to be a learning curve.”

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.