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

BELMONT — February 20, 2026 — Belmont Select Board unanimously appoints Salem, New Hampshire deputy chief Shane Smith as next police chief. The board voted 3-0 Friday evening after interviewing three finalists produced by a seven-member screening committee that reviewed 19 applications and used an assessment center process to narrow the field. Smith, 45, has spent his entire 25-year career at the Salem PD, holds a master's degree in criminal justice from the University of Oklahoma, and has completed the FBI National Academy. The other finalists were Watertown Captain Daniel Unsworth, who lives four doors from the Belmont line, and Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson, who told the board he would not relocate. Chair Matthew Taylor, Vice Chair Taylor Yates, and Member Elizabeth Dionne cited Smith's blend of strategic and operational thinking, his background as a former union president, and his stated commitment to developing internal succession candidates. The appointment is contingent on a successful background check and contract negotiations, with the board noting that background checks typically take at least two weeks.