NORWICH — The town announced this week the hiring of Matthew Romei, the former chief of Vermont’s Capitol Police Department, as the town’s new interim chief of police.

Romei, who effectively took over the department on Thursday, is replacing former chief Wade Cochran, who resigned last week after serving just nine months in Norwich.

Interim Town Manager Brennan Duffy, who announced the hire at a Selectboard meeting on Wednesday, said Romei is a “highly decorated” officer with 22 years of experience, as well as a certified and credentialed firefighter and paramedic.

“We have been very fortunate to have found (Romei) so quickly,” Duffy told Selectboard members. “He responded almost immediately to our posting for the (position).”

Romei served as chief of Vermont’s Capitol Police Department from 2017 until May of this year, when he stepped down for undisclosed reasons, according to VTDigger.

The town is still trying to hire a patrol officer to replace an officer who resigned in June.

Duffy said the officer vacancy was posted two weeks ago but there “has not been a great response.”

The town will hold a reception at the police department on Monday, Aug. 7, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. to formally welcome Romei to town and to thank Cochran for his service.

The appointment of a police chief allows the town to focus more on filling other key vacancies, which include a finance director, a planning director and a permanent town manager. 

On Wednesday the Selectboard approved a Request for Proposal, or RFP, to seek a recruitment firm to oversee the town manager search. 

The RFP, which will be posted on the town website, will also be sent directly to five municipal recruitment companies that serve towns and cities in Vermont — Municipal Resources Inc., Vermont League of Cities and Towns, Colin Baenziger & Associates, Raftelis and Baker Tilly. 

The Selectboard parted ways with former Town Manager Rod Francis last November due to “unusual difficulties” in the municipal operation. 

In December, the Selectboard hired Duffy, former Rutland, Vt. economic development leader, as the interim town manager. Last month the board granted Duffy a one-year contract extension with a compensation rate of $64 per hour, or about $133,000 for a full year.

Patrick Adrian may be reached at padrian@vnews.com or at 603-727-3216.