Jamestown Police Chief Harry Snellings

Harry Snellings, Jamestown’s longtime police chief, announced he plans to retire.

City officials were told of the decision Monday night, catching some off guard. However, all said the retirement will leave the Jamestown Police Department — and the city itself — with big shoes to fill.

Snellings will step down in July, ending a career that began with his hiring in May 1996; he was named police chief in July 2010.

“After 26 years of law enforcement service, 24 with the city of Jamestown, my family and I have decided it was time to retire,” Snellings said in a statement.

Anthony Dolce, president of the Jamestown City Council, said the police chief is well-respected by all members of the council, other police departments and officials across New York state.

“It certainly caught us off guard,” Dolce said, later adding, “We’re saddened that he’s leaving us, but he felt that the time was right to move on and spend some time with his family. Those are some huge shoes to fill, especially right now with things that are going on. It’s going to leave us with a big position to fill.”

As a member of the council, Dolce has had the chance to work alongside Snellings for many years. He said the police chief has always been “utmost professional” in his position.

“He ran a very tight ship in that department,” he said. “He has the respect of every single one of us on the council. I enjoyed working with him as chief — he was a very responsible person.”

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said it was with regret he accepted Snelling’s retirement notice. “It’s been a great experience getting to work with him in this administration the past six months,” Sundquist said. “I’m very sad to see him leave. I’m glad he will be able to enjoy retirement.”

The mayor said city officials will soon begin the process to finding the next police chief.

At the time of his appointment to chief, Snellings was a lieutenant with the police department. The announcement, made July 23, 2010, ended four months of speculation and bids for the job.

Then-Mayor Sam Teresi said that day at a press conference, “As I stand here before you today, I have just wrapped up one of the most difficult processes in my tenure as mayor of the city of Jamestown. The selection process was extremely challenging and difficult, and in the end, I had to tell many of my longtime friends that despite their great qualifications, I decided to go with someone else.”

That “someone else” was Snellings, a decorated U.S. Army veteran, who at the time of his appointment, had 14 years in as an officer and was the commander of the SWAT team.

“My adult life has been dedicated to public service and public safety,” Snellings said at the July 2010 press conference. “I have had the privilege to serve our nation, and for the last 14 years, the citizens of Jamestown.”

In 1996, Snellings joined the department as a patrolman with the Third Platoon, on the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift. It was during one of those patrols that he met the city’s new mayor.

Teresi recalled wanting to do a ride-along — a chance to meet members of the police department and experience a typical shift.

“We had a couple of traffic stops and noise complaints, then after midnight things started to heat up,” Teresi said at Snelling’s appointment. “There were a couple of serious domestic violence incidents where the suspect had already left the house. He broadcast the necessary information to the other units, then he stayed at the home speaking with the victims. He acted with such compassion and genuine concern, helping them fill out the proper paperwork and telling them where they could turn for help in the future…”

When reached Tuesday, Teresi noted how Snellings was able to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Chief Rex Rater. The former mayor said Snellings, like Rater, was able to “work miracles” with the limited budget provided to him over the years.

“It’s a real shame and a huge loss for both the department and the city,” Teresi told The Post-Journal. “He was the quintessential chief, and he came in the footsteps of some very capable chiefs. I had the pleasure to appoint him.”

Snellings was born in Mannheim, Germany, with his father in the military. He himself joined the U.S. Army in 1989, where during his tenure in the military, he was promoted through the ranks to become a sergeant and team/squad leader, earning one of the military’s highest ranks for non-commissioned officers.