by Cassandra Hemenway, for the Montpelier Bridge

NORTHFIELD — Montpelier’s chief of police and deputy chief are both leaving Montpelier for their new jobs at the Northfield Police Department in the same roles they currently occupy in Vermont’s capital city.

The Town of Northfield announced May 19 that it has hired Montpelier Police Chief Eric Nordenson as Northfield’s new chief of police and Kevin Moulton as deputy chief of police. Moulton, who is still listed as the deputy chief of police on the Montpelier website, and still has a voicemail set up with Montpelier, has been the acting interim police chief in Northfield this spring. Nordenson, too, is still listed as the chief of police on the city of Montpelier website and still has a voicemail set up with the police department.

Neither Nordenson nor Moulton were available for comment before The Bridge went to press.

“We could not be more pleased to welcome Eric and Kevin to our community,” said Mary Smith, town manager for the town of Northfield in a May 19 release. “Public safety is one of the town’s highest priorities, and we are confident their leadership, professionalism, and dedication to community policing will serve Northfield extremely well.”

The release also stated that Moulton has already made a tremendous impact during his time serving as interim chief of police. His leadership has been well received by both the municipal staff and Northfield residents, and the town is excited to have him continue serving the community in the role of deputy chief.

Meanwhile, the Montpelier Police Department has announced on its Facebook page that it is hiring. Starting pay for new police officers is $37.75 an hour ($78,520 annually) effective July 1, and, according to the Facebook post, “We also take pride in a culture that values individuality — facial hair, tattoos, piercings, and long hair are welcome.”

The announcement invites applicants to become part of “of a supportive, inclusive, and community-focused team where no two days are the same.”

Smith noted in the release that “Kevin has demonstrated outstanding leadership, stability, and commitment during this transition period. We are beyond excited about what the future holds for our police department under the leadership of both Eric and Kevin.”

Because the public announcement of the change came within an hour of The Bridge’s press time, neither City Manager Kelly McNicholas Kury nor Mayor Marc Gwinn could be reached for comment.