Belmont Select Board unanimously appoints Salem deputy chief as new police chief

BELMONT — February 20, 2026 — Belmont Select Board unanimously appoints Salem, New Hampshire deputy police chief as town's next top cop. The board voted 3-0 Friday to appoint Shane C. Smith, a 45-year-old 25-year Salem PD veteran currently serving as deputy chief, pending a background check and contract negotiations. The appointment followed back-to-back interviews with three finalists surfaced through a process managed by Paro Consulting, which reviewed 19 applications and ran an assessment center before recommending Smith, Watertown Police Captain Daniel S. Unsworth, and Southbridge Police Chief Shane D. Woodson. Chair Matthew Taylor and Member Elizabeth Dionne each cited Smith's FBI National Academy training, his union-side experience as a former union president, and his stated willingness to relocate as decisive factors. Dionne said Woodson's declared refusal to relocate from roughly 50 to 60 miles away was disqualifying. The board also unanimously approved an annotated warrant for the March 4 Special Town Meeting before the interviews began.