Swanson honored to lead police dept. in hometown of Woodstock

Joe Swanson first joined the Woodstock Police Department in his college days — and now, he leads it as its chief. Also a Woodstock Union High School grad (1999), he’s honored to do this work for his hometown. 

“It's been really special to be able to lead the department I came up in, for the community I grew up in,” he said in a recent interview. “Being familiar with the community has certainly been a big help to me, in fitting into my new role.” 

After an extensive national search, Swanson was hired on July 14, which was announced by Municipal Manager Eric Duffy and the Woodstock Village Trustees. Robbie Blish, who had been Woodstock’s chief since 2011, retired in July. 

After becoming chief, Swanson gave up his Select Board seat, and Greg Fullerton was later appointed to that post. 

Swanson, whose late father, Phil Swanson, was municipal manager for 34 years, started out with Woodstock PD as a part-time officer in 2000 while attending the University of Southern Maine. At USM he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, and he went full-time with the Woodstock Police in 2007, later working up to the rank of corporal, and then sergeant. Also, Swanson served in the Vermont Army National Guard from 2005 to 2012, and he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Franklin Pierce University.

In July, Swanson’s first day as chief was a unique one: On July 14, Woodstock and many other Vermont towns were dealing with the impact of catastrophic flooding. At the time, he recalled, the main focus was on getting water and supplies to the residents that needed them, while coordinating with local leaders and organizations.  

From Swanson’s first day as a police officer years ago, to the present day, keeping the community in mind has been key to his work – and he notes that the same is true for the department overall, including being visible in the community.

“Community policing has been and remains a major tenet of our mission,” Swanson said. “As a police force we can only be successful by working with the community.” 

He added, “In a daily workload practical sense, we balance enforcement efforts, investigative time, and community engagement to meet our mission.”

When asked about tasks that are new to him in this role, Swanson noted managing the department’s budget and also policy decisions. 

Referring to the latter, he said, “I haven’t had to make many yet, but that's part of what's included in the role as chief.”

Swanson, 42, said that being flexible and ready to help is at the core of the work. 

“You have to be flexible and willing and able to adapt to the wants and needs of the community, and the wants and needs of the department.”

— Gareth Henderson