Westport has a new police officer, and another on the way.

The select board last week unanimously approved the hiring of Cody Smith as a full time officer, following the probationary period that began earlier this year.

A Westport resident, Smith said he is happy to be here and has found the town a great fit since his start.

"It's a beautiful community," he said. "I'm from a big city, so it's been an interesting little change. I've come to find a lot of the people I've met so far have been extremely supportive of the police (and) the people I've worked with have been phenomenal. It's been great so far."

After approving his full time hire select board members also approved a police request to send Sean Munzing to the police academy starting next month. His voice might be familiar to some — he has served as a full time dispatcher at the department for a few years. A Beverly native, he said he "always wanted to be a name in the community, rather than just a number — to be able to try to make a difference in the community."

— Ted Hayes