Page 6 - JUNE2021

Page 6 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM June 2021 Community
Meet the Town of Bristol Police Chief James McIntire
By Donna rhoDes
In March of 2018, James P. McIntire was sworn in as the po- lice chief for the Town of Bristol, in what he now describes as a “great marriage” between his per- sonality, his Lakes Region roots, and the friendly, recreational ele- ment of the community.
“This is the type of environ- ment I really enjoy working in,” McIntire said. “Bristol was never on my radar but they were looking for a chief and it was the right time in my career to apply for this job.”
McIntire’s career is a long and storied one in service to both the country and the state.
Born in Bethesda, Maryland, he was raised in his grandfather’s former summer cottage on Crys- tal Lake. He went on to graduate from Gilford High School where he had already begun to pursue his love for construction on weekends. After graduation McIntire contin- ued in that trade, working for local companies such as Wood & Clay, Tripp Construction and others.
At the age of 20 he decided to look toward his other dream of be- coming a police officer. While still
doing construction, he was hired as a part time officer for Northfield Police Department.
Through sponsorship from the Town of Northfield, McIntire went to the N.H. Police Academy and became a member of their 88th graduating class. An opening for the Northfield Police Depart- ment came up at that same time and he served the town for over four years as a full-fledged officer.
“My goal was to work my way up through local, state and federal [agencies],” McIntire said.
With that in mind, seeking only the opportunity, he took a position in the larger City of Laconia in 1993.
In 1995 McIntire found he missed construction work and stepped away from law enforce- ment for 10 years to run his own business, McIntire Construction. The company offered kitchen re- modeling, additions and “concrete and up” home building.
Somehow, between 1997 and 2001, he also found time to enlist in the New Hampshire Army Na- tional Guard.
In 2005, McIntire returned to
his inner call for what he views as selfless service, spending three- and-a-half years on the Bow Po- lice Department. Starting there as a patrolman he went on to become a detective and also joined the Central SWAT team.
Living in the Lakes Region however, he soon decided to fill an opening on the Northfield Police Department for a year before be- coming an Investigative Prosecu- tor in the Belknap County Sheriff Department’s Warrant and Crim- inal Division.
The Year 2015 found McIntire
back on patrol as a sergeant for NPD until he was hired in Bristol as their new chief in 2018. He now oversees eight fulltime officers, two part time officers and their admin- istrative assistant. It’s a job he said he enjoys very much, thanks to the great people of not only his de- partment but the town as well.
“I’m just the conduit between the selectmen and my department. This is a team. They know what to do,” the chief said. “My officers work hard to do their job well in a professional and dedicated man- ner; there’s no micromanaging here. If someone left, anyone of them could step up and take on the next role.”
On the personal level, McIn- tire and his wife Martha will soon celebrate their 20th wedding anni- versary. He also has three grown daughters and a son, along with a German Shepard named Bruin.
When off duty, he enjoys being a “professional spectator” for his
son’s high school sports, along with “anything that ends with –ing”- hiking, boating, target shooting, and slalom or barefoot waterski- ing, something he started while growing up on Crystal Lake.
“That’s what I love about Bris- tol, too. It’s a destination where people come to recreate. It’s a dif- ferent type of policing and some- thing I’m wired for,” the chief said.
He also loves the local busi- nesses. It’s not unusual to find him chatting with residents over a cup of coffee or picking up a take-out meal in any of the local restaurants. He sees that as a great opportunity to hear from people, whether it’s things they’re con- cerned with or words of support for his officers.
One thing most don’t know about Bristol’s Police Chief though is that his desire to help others was best shown in 2006 when he flew to Wisconsin to donate a kidney to his best friend.
“We still get together annually and I actually just got back from seeing him,” McIntire said. “He’s doing well. It’s great I could do that for him and that the Bow Police Department supported me during that time.”
He said he believes everything happens for a reason and it cer- tainly seems as if the course of his life supports thatå belief.
Profiles of his dedicated officers and support staff will be found here in Newfound Lake Life in the months to come.
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