The Endicott board of trustees has approved the hiring of the next village police chief.

47-year-old Patrick Garey is scheduled to start work as head of the 27-officer department on July 15.

Garey has been a member of the New York State Police for about 26 years. He currently is a captain with the agency.

Craig Williams now is serving as interim Endicott police chief. He took over on May 24, when Michael Cox retired as chief.

Mayor John Bertoni said 16 people applied for the chief's position. He said the interviewing process narrowed down the field to three finalists.

Bertoni said Garey's experience with the state police will be useful when he becomes chief of the village department. Bertoni said Garey's "got some grit" - a quality he said will be important in dealing with the challenges facing Endicott police.

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