Town Names Jody Kasper New Chief Of Police

Jody Kasper has been named Nantucket’s new chief of police. 

Kasper, who will be leaving her current job as chief of the Northampton (Mass.) Police Department, has “accepted the position, pending employment contract negotiations with the Town,” according to a Town of Nantucket announcement Friday afternoon. Kasper will be the first woman to lead the Nantucket Police Department. 

Born and raised in Western Massachusetts, Kasper has worked for the Northampton Police Department for 26 years. She got her start as a patrol officer, and worked her way up to become a field training officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, detective lieutenant, captain of operations, and in June 2015, was named chief of police. Kasper graduated from Greenfield Community College and earned two master's degrees - one in criminal justice and the other in public administration - from Westfield State University. In 2021, Kasper was named the Woman Law Enforcement Executive of the Year by the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives.

The town is prepared to provide housing to Kasper as part of the employment package it is offering. 

Kasper was one of the three finalists for the job and will take over the reins from outgoing Nantucket chief of police William Pittman, who has served in that role for nearly 20 years. Pittman is retiring in November after reaching the state's mandatory retirement age of 65. 

“We also offer our sincere gratitude and appreciation to outgoing Nantucket Police Chief William Pittman who has honorably served our community with dignity and respect for nineteen years and wish him all the best on his well-deserved retirement,” the town stated.

A community event will be scheduled in the coming weeks to welcome Chief Kasper to Nantucket, and her official start date has yet to be determined.