HAMPTON - After 23-1/2-years on the Hampton Police force, Deputy Chief Dennis Pelletier is retiring.

"I'm really excited about it," Pelletier said. "I'm ready to pursue some other endeavors."

Pelletier started out as a patrolman with the Hampton Police Department in 1972, and gradually worked his way up through the ranks. three years after he joined the force, he was promoted to sergeant and has spent the last ten years as deputy police chief. He was also responsible for organizing Hampton's Mounted Patrol 14 years ago. According to Pelletier, he feels now is the appropriate time to move on.

"I've done everything there is to do," he said. "It's been a really reward ing experience for me. I have a lot of good feelings about all the people I have worked with."

Pelletier is excited about his move into the private sector. He will pursue a number of different interests including carpentry work and possibly work with his father.

"Hopefully I'm going to be self employed," he said.

Pelletier has been mulling over his retirement for close to a year, and because he is turning 45-years-old this month he wanted to coordinate his retirement with that occasion.

Pelletier's name was among the final six candidates for the position of Hampton's new police chief along with Acting Chief William Wrenn. He said that process had nothing to do with his decision to retire, it was just a case of coincidental timing.

"I had been thinking about retirement, and I just decided to throw my hat in the ring feeling I was a qualified candidate," Pelletier said. "It had nothing to do with my decision to retire."