During last night’s Board of Selectmen meeting, Town Manager John J. Carroll announced he will provide a definitive decision by September 9 regarding whether appointed Police Chief Arthur V. Deutcsh will assume the role or if the town will reopen its search.
Carroll stated he will either announce an official start date for Deutcsh—a 49-year-old New York City police captain who oversees 120 detectives, formerly served as a mounted policeman, and authored a police novel—or begin seeking another candidate, though he declined to label the date a strict deadline.
Deutcsh was originally appointed on April 14 to succeed retiring Chief James F. Curran and was scheduled to begin work on July 1. However, his transition has been stalled by difficulties locating housing in the Norwood area. While selectmen would prefer the chief to reside in Norwood, they have indicated they would accept a home in a nearby community. Deutcsh explained that he has made ten trips to the region but has faced persistent hurdles due to high housing costs and soaring mortgage rates. Although he has no firm timeline for securing a home, Deutcsh affirmed that he still wants the position and plans to retire from the NYPD as soon as a purchase is finalized.
Selectman Urges Strict Deadline
Selectman Thomas A. Riolo expressed growing frustration with the prolonged vacancy, urging Carroll during the meeting to issue a September 8 deadline and threatening to ask the full board to mandate a cutoff if Carroll does not act. “I want him here by Sept. 8,” Riolo told Carroll. “I suggest you look for a new man by Sept. 9.”
Riolo maintained that Deutcsh remains the right choice for the department but argued the town has waited long enough, charging that Deutcsh had not shown sufficient urgency and should have rented a local apartment to conduct a full-time, two-week house hunt.
Upcoming School Registration
In separate town announcements, the school department noted that guidance counselors will be on duty at the senior high and junior high schools from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday of next week, to assist students and new residents with course registration and program inquiries.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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