New police chief reflects on smooth transition to top job

Sept. 22, 2021 | Hope E. Tremblay

Southwick Police Chief Robert D. Landis is sworn in by Town Clerk Michelle Hill on June 30.
Reminder Publishing photo by Hope E. Tremblay

SOUTHWICK – Robert D. Landis took the helm of the Southwick Police Department more than two months ago, but most people probably have not even noticed.

That was the plan, he said recently.

When Kevin A. Bishop was named chief three years ago and Landis was promoted to lieutenant, they worked together from day one, knowing that Landis would most likely become the next chief.

“This was what we were working toward,” said Landis. “Kevin and I worked together closely so there would be a smooth transition.”

Bishop kept Landis in the loop of decision-making, budgeting and more. Both chiefs have similar views on training and being part of the fabric of the community, so there weren’t any major changes in policy when Landis took office July 1 of this year.

Landis and Bishop also have in common that their police careers were not straight paths. Landis, a Westfield native whose father was a Southwick dispatcher, studied criminal justice at Westfield State, but joined the military rather than starting his police career right away.

He served in the U.S. Navy for three years then spent a year as a reserve. He was living in California while in the Navy and met his wife. Also from Massachusetts, she was working for an airline as a flight attendant and took a position in Boston, which brought them back to Massachusetts.

Landis worked for Hamilton Standard and joined the Granville Police Department. He was also a reserve officer in Southwick, and when a full-time position opened in 1995, he took it and left his aerospace career behind. Landis said he has come full circle.

While the transition to Landis taking over as chief and Rhett Bannish being promoted to lieutenant has been smooth, one major concern for them right now is police reform, and responding to the policing law passed by the state Legislature this summer.

“Our biggest challenge – for all police departments – is police reform,” he said. “Right now, we’re dealing with compliance.”

The Southwick Police Department is in good shape, he said, but complying with some of the reforms is an extensive and costly process. Landis said the department is fully staffed with 18 full-time and 10 part-time officers.

“Our reserves have been our recruiting pool,” he said. “We’ve always had a very extensive training program.”

Landis said this is an advantage in complying with the recent police reform law, which calls for all officers, reserve and full-time, to have the same training.

Landis said he is hopeful that the department can resume its outreach programs that were suspended because of COVID-19, including its Citizen Police Academy and RAD defense program.

“We want to get back to our community outreach,” he said.

When not on duty, Landis and his wife and daughter enjoy traveling the world.

“We’ve been to Belize, Hawaii, Africa, the Amazon, the Caribbean ... we had a lot of opportunities when my wife was a flight attendant,” he said. “We are fairly adventurous. I also like to bowl, fish and golf.”

Landis said since becoming chief he doesn’t have as much time for his hobbies as he used to, but that’s okay with him.

“I love what I do,” he said.

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