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Saturday, October 31, 2026 Essex County, Massachusetts · Change town
Government · Select Board

Wenham Board Approves Second Police Hire

Wenham Select Board authorizes a second full-time police hire, effectively ending the town's part-time patrol force. Finance Director Ernest Jackson calculated the two-hire approach costs about $15,000 more annually than relying on overtime, a plan the Finance Committee backed 2-1.

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Select Board · Meeting of June 9, 2026

Wenham Select Board authorizes a second full-time police hire, effectively ending the town's part-time patrol force. Finance Director Ernest Jackson calculated the two-hire approach costs about $15,000 more annually than relying on overtime, a plan the Finance Committee backed 2-1. Police Chief Kevin J.

DiNapoli said two rare, academy-trained candidates made the timing right, noting "policing is a full-time commitment." The board also voted 3-0 to approve a preservation restriction on the 15.72-acre, 17th-century Old Farm estate at 9 Maple Street, OK'd two Community Preservation Act grant agreements for Wenham Museum HVAC and roof repairs, and granted Plat du Jour an extra hour of liquor service, to 11 p.m., for World Cup matches through June 24. A resident near Pingree Park warned against adding pickleball courts there, describing the noise as "distracting, annoying, erratic."

In the full story:

  • Who Was There
  • Organizations And Documents Referenced
  • The complete report — 3,708 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of June 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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