Dennis Leahy, Rangeley’s Police Chief, the Philadelphia native now calls Rangeley his home. (Laura Dunham photo) RANGELEY — For over 29 years the man who is now Police Chief in Rangeley worked for the Philadelphia Police Department and retired as a Lieutenant with 212 officers working under him.

Elected the new Police Chief in Rangeley about four years ago Denis Leahy said that he and his wife, Joann, had vacationed in Rangeley for more than 30 years and had dreamed of the day when they could be permanent residents.

In Philadelphia, Leahy had a tactical team including plain clothes detectives investigating all crime like burglaries and robberies along with a narcotic team.

“We have the same crime here in Rangeley but on a small scale,” said Leahy.

Going from a city that has 2.2 million people to a town with 1,300 is kind of a shock said Leahy “but a good one.”

Also going from a team of 212 officers to watch over to three full-time officers and five part-time ones is another big change.

The hard part for Leahy and his wife is having their children so far away, their son lives in Delaware and their daughter in Arlington Virginia. But so far we visit as much as we can and have adjusted; when the grandchildren start coming “that will be another story,” said Leahy.