AMHERST — When someone causes a scene or is out of control, Police Sgt. David Foster aimed to bring calm and defuse the situation without using heavy-handed tactics.
“I’ve always believed in treating people the way I, my children or my wife would want to be treated, Foster said last Friday, his final shift on the force coming 25 years and a day after he began his tenure. “Talking with people has always been easy for me.”
Town Manager Paul Bockelman said Foster’s demeanor was perfect for deescalating tensions, because he treated everyone with respect.
Foster’s approach to policing also meant he was a valued mentor and friend to others on the force, said Police Chief Scott Livingstone.
“He will be truly missed by all of us for his keen sense of humor and dedication to both this department and the town of Amherst,” Livingstone said.
Foster, who grew up in Amherst and graduated from Amherst Regional High School in 1984, worked at a state hospital in Holyoke for five years before pursuing a career in law enforcement.
On his first day in Amherst Dec. 5, 1994, Foster began patrols that included a walking beat that ran daily from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and he was soon after tabbed as a school resource officer and liaison to the schools.
Though he wasn’t stationed at schools, Foster would be summoned when fights or other problems occurred, and he worked with teams and athletes, in particular hockey players, because of his longstanding passion for the sport.
To this day, Foster said he appreciates that school officials could trust him to help guide students.
“I wanted to deal with people to influence and change their lives,” Foster said.
In 2011, the Amherst Pelham Education Association gave him a Friends of Education Award, awarded to a community member who supports the schools and students in making a significant contribution to education.
“I made a lot of contacts then and 20 years later those kids are parents now,” Foster said.
Foster was appointed to the detective bureau in September 2000, and in August 2014 was promoted to sergeant, where he had direct oversight of patrol units that respond to thousands of calls for assistance each year.
“They are some of the greatest men and women I’ve ever met. Their efforts are extraordinary,” Foster said.
Working in Amherst can be challenging, with limited resources and a population whose dynamics are changing, and the risk of exhaustion.
“If you’re doing the job right, everyone should be getting your best intentions,” Foster said.
The decision to retire came after the passing of several of his closest relatives, including his parents, and his own health scares.
“It’s time to refocus on my family, my kids and my wife,” Foster said.
Though he no longer plays hockey, Foster remains involved in coaching and making sure his family continues to play including his wife, Kathy, and his sons, who play for Amherst Regional and Bridgton Academy in Maine.
After leaving work for the final time, Foster said he would be attending the annual Merry Maple tree lighting and then traveling to a second home in South Carolina for a relaxing weekend. But, for the most part, he will remain in Amherst, where he runs a farm stand on South East Street during the growing season, and will sell real estate as an agent for Keller Williams Realty.
Foster said he has no regrets.
“I always enjoyed every single day to some point,” Foster said, adding that he laughed and cried with his brothers and sisters on the force. “But definitely more laughing than crying.”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
