PRESS RELEASE
Town of Barnstable Police Department
July 10th, 2025
Town of Barnstable Votes to Remove Police Department from Civil Service
On Thursday, June 5, 2025, the Barnstable Town Council voted unanimously to remove the Barnstable Police Department from the Massachusetts Civil Service system. This landmark decision represents a significant shift in our department’s hiring and promotional processes, aligning us with modern practices in law enforcement recruitment and promotion. On Wednesday, July 9th, the Town notified Civil Service’s Human Resource Division of the department’s removal.
Since 1937, the Barnstable Police Department has operated under Civil Service regulations. For many decades, this system served the town effectively, providing a standardized approach to hiring and promotion. However, in recent years, evolving challenges—including a shrinking pool of applicants, fiscal constraints, and procedural limitations—have made it increasingly difficult to recruit and promote officers in an efficient, equitable, and timely manner. Barnstable was one of the last remaining Civil Service police departments on Cape Cod.
The transition away from Civil Service will allow the department to attract and onboard qualified and motivated candidates more quickly. This change enhances our ability to meet the needs of the community by ensuring that the best candidates—regardless of testing timelines or procedural barriers—can be hired and trained without unnecessary delay.
This effort was made possible through the collaboration and dedication of Town officials, department leadership, and both police unions. Together, we have developed updated policies and contractual agreements that bring our hiring and promotional practices into the 21st century. With this change, we can now compete with surrounding agencies for top-tier candidates.
In the coming days, the department will launch an aggressive recruitment campaign to fill more than a dozen current vacancies. Under the previous system, in some cases, it could take up to two years or more to fully hire and train a new officer. With the adoption of our new system, we anticipate being able to recruit, hire, and train qualified candidates in a much shorter time frame than before—bringing well-prepared officers to the streets sooner and enhancing public safety for all.
We extend our sincere thanks to our officers, Town Council, and the Barnstable community for their support throughout this process. We are excited about this new chapter and remain committed to serving the residents of Barnstable with integrity, professionalism, and excellence.
Chief Jean Challies
