Rochester Police Chief Paul Magee has been awarded the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award, having been nominated by his three officers who are members of the National Guard and Reserve.
The award recognizes a supervisor or boss who has provided support to employees who serve in the military through measures such as flexible schedules, time off prior to and during deployment, offering support to families, and also granting leaves of absence when requested.
Magee was given the award at a ceremony during a Southeast Massachusetts Police Chiefs meeting in Plymouth last month.
For such a small police department to have three active and reserve employee officers is a high percentage.
It takes some effort and flexibility, said Magee, when you’ve got a high percentage of your full-time staff in the military.
“Because they need time off, one week a month, two weeks a year,” said Magee. “With a small agency, it’s a balancing act of scheduling and accommodating the time off these guys need.”
It is clear that those three employees feel that Chief Magee, as well as the Town of Rochester, works rather attentively to support them.
The award is not issued to entire agencies or employers; rather it is issued to individual supervisors and bosses. However, Magee said, although this award was issued in his name, it recognizes the efforts and support of those in the town’s administration as well.
“This really is a town award,” said Magee. “While I am the employer, [administration is] very supportive of my hiring military people. I think it’s just as much a town award.”
By Jean Perry