Conway PD welcomes new officer, a recent Kennett grad

CONWAY — Conway’s newest patrol officer is quite familiar with the area.

Jack Robinson, who grew up in the Mount Washington Valley and graduated from Kennett High School a few years ago, was sworn in during a ceremony in front of friends, family and fellow officers at the police station on Oct. 15.

“We’re very happy to have Jack on board,” Chief Chris Mattei said by phone on Tuesday. “He is going to do a great job. He’s a terrific fit.”

Robinson, 20, of Madison is the son of Jenn and Ed Robinson. His sister, Zoey, 13, and brother, Easton, 10, were on hand for the ceremony, along with his grandparents, Sue and Peter Fullerton of West Ossipee; his girlfriend, Remi Snowden; and recently retired Sheriff's Deputy Mike Santuccio and wife, Kristen.

"Jack has not always wanted to be a police officer," Jenn said  "It was something that came to him in his senior year. Mike Santuccio (then Carroll County Sheriff's Department lieutenant) and the former (SRO) Brandon James, the school resource officer at the high school, both played a role in guiding him in the police officer career.  After being involved with the rec and teen center he realized he wanted to continue helping the community."

Law enforcement runs in the family. Robinson's great grandfather, Earl Fullerton, was a Ossipee police officer, deputy sheriff and later sheriff for Carroll County.

Lora Labbe, executive assistant for the Conway department, administered the oath to Robinson.

“Jack is a 2023 graduate of Kennett High School, where he served as captain of both the hockey and baseball teams,” said Mattei. “He went on to earn his associate's degree in criminal justice from Central Maine Community College.”

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Before joining the department, Robinson worked for several years at the Conway Parks and Recreation Department, where he built strong connections within the community.

Mattei said Robinson starts 12 weeks of field officer training this week. His training officers are Master Patrol Officers Shawn Baldwin and Dominic Knox and Patrol Officer Joseph Moore.

“Jack will attend the Police Academy in Concord in January,” Mattei said of the 16-week program.

Robinson’s hire still leaves the department short a full-time officer, and it may be that way for the next year.

“The issue is the January academy is just about full and the next academy won’t start until May or June," Mattei said.

He added: “Staffing is a constant struggle … It’s a very competitive environment right now.”

Starting salary for a patrolman, according to the department’s website, is $28.81 per hour.

The website says there are 33 full-time employees in the department.

The department hopes to be fully staffed in its dispatch center next week when an applicant comes before commissioners Bruce Ela, Rodney King and Andy Pepin.

There is also an opening for a full-time paralegal/victim witness advocate. If anyone is interested in this job or a patrol position, they can find out more at tinyurl.com/5yrjzhun.

Robinson joins a host of department members who grew up in and around the Mount Washington Valley, including Sgt. Michael Boucher, Sgt. Ryan Wallace, Patrol Officers Cameron Leavitt and Nathan Boothby, Detective Sgt. Jonathan Hill, Detective/Master Patrol Officers Richard Theberge and Richard Gaudreau, Dispatch Supervisor Joanne MacKenzie, dispatchers Paige Hill, Henry Edmunds and Glennys Chambers, and Baldwin and Knox.