WESTBROOK – Those within the Westbrook Police Department say it will be business as usual come Monday, despite the absence of Chief Bill Baker.

Baker announced his retirement the first week of January. Since then, the city has announced fire Chief Mike Pardue would step in on an interim basis to lead both police and fire departments. Pardue was officially appointed as police chief pro tem during Monday’s City Council meeting. Mayor Colleen Hilton said the city is continuing to look at whether to create a permanent director of public safety position.

Pardue has spent the past month meeting with members of the police force to discuss what he described as a seamless transition.

“We’ve been very methodical, I think, about introducing him to the police command staff,” Baker said. “That’s given people a real comfort that it’s all been handled so transparently and face to face.”

Pardue has attended staff meetings and shift briefings and taken rides on patrol. Baker was known as a hands-on chief and Pardue hopes to replicate that when he takes over.

“I am very much a hands-on police chief,” he said.

Pardue is a former police chief who founded a management consulting firm that helps cities and towns evaluate its departments.

While he will not be on patrol regularly, Pardue said, he would be responding to serious police and fire calls.

“I want to be a part of that and I think there should be an expectation that I should be,” he said.

Next week, Pardue intends to meet with leadership from both police and fire departments to work on team-oriented goals, he said.

He said that change can be difficult and there are no immediate plans to change the duties of anyone within the departments. The department structure will see the police captain and deputy fire chief reporting directly to Pardue.

“I’m a firm believer that if something is working you don’t change for the sake of change,” he said.

Police Capt. Tom Roth said he and the rest of the officers are ready for the move.

“The transition is going to be seamless,” he said. “I really don’t see anything changing at all.”

Roth said some officers who work nights appreciated the chance to meet with Pardue, whom they hadn’t run into, since he works days.

An eight-year veteran of the Westbrook force, Roth said Baker brought about positive change since he joined the department in 2007.

“This is a very sought-after place to come,” he said.

City Administrator Jerre Bryant agreed, noting that Baker has made a positive impact on the department’s diligence in terms of dealing with visible issues such as traffic enforcement, as well as thefts and drug-related crimes.

“He has accomplished the types of things in the community that dynamic leaders accomplish,” he said.

Baker credits the officers for making it all possible. He said that the department’s progress is meaningless if it is not sustainable beyond his term here.

“If I leave and everything falls apart, then I didn’t do my job very well,” he said.

He said that Pardue could face his share of tests early as a “vocal minority” voices its concerns about the department’s policies, such as its strict speed limit enforcement.

“He’ll have his hands full the first couple of months as he gets tested by that group of people who will be coming out of the woodwork,” he said.

For his part, Baker intends to wear the uniform up until the end of the day Friday. He has taken on a case from his overworked detectives and hopes to solve it before he goes.

“I’m working until they kick me out of here at 5 o’clock on Friday,” he said.