WILLISTON — Williston Police Chief Patrick T. Foley, a familiar face in the community, said Wednesday that he plans to retire on July 10.

Foley, 72, has spent nearly 50 years serving the public, much of it Vermont.

He told Vermont News First that it was the right time due to a combination of issues, including health, for family members. 

A formal announcement about Foley’s retirement could come from the town as early as Thursday.

The Pawtucket, R.I. native began with the Burlington Police in 1977 as a patrol officer, later was promoted to detective and was eventually named a sergeant. 

Foley worked for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration from 1983 to 1987 when he was named police chief in Windsor.

He moved to Douglas, Mass where he was police chief from 1995 to 2017.

Foley was eventually selected to lead the Williston Police by then-Town Manager Rick McGuire more than eight years ago.  Foley was one of 80 applicants and three finalists after a national search. 

Foley, who was a runner-up in Williston several years earlier, has said he always had an interest in leading the department.  

He is one of the longer serving police chiefs currently in Vermont and he is the Dean among the 10 municipalities with police departments in Chittenden County.

Williston is expected to do a full national search to find a replacement.  Foley said he hoped to bring some stability to the department when he was named the fourth chief in 10 years.

Williston Police has an authorized strength of 19 sworn officers with two vacancies, including for lieutenant, the no. 2 slot in the department. 

The department recently added a two-member detective unit to help address some of the crimes at commercial business and residences.

Williston Police also expects to soon add a social worker to the roster.

Foley has a criminal justice degree from Bryant University.

He has been active with both the Vermont and New England Police Chiefs Associations.

Foley served for 3 years as a vice president for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which represents about 160 countries.  He also did one year as a parliamentarian.

Foley was 64 and facing the mandatory retirement age of 65 for police in Massachusetts in 2017 when he applied to Williston.  He said he was too young to retire and had more to give.