Two more Montpelier officers head to Northfield as department grapples with staffing crisis

Two Montpelier police officers, Sgt. Diane Mathews and Detective Alesha Donovan, have resigned to join Northfield's police department, marking the fourth such departure in a month. Montpelier now has 11 officers instead of the approved 17, prompting the appointment of Detective Sgt. Jeffrey Pearson as interim police chief. Northfield, which recently hired a new town manager, is rebuilding its police force after significant vacancies and a prior leadership dispute.