Joanne McHugh was chosen to replace Marianne Maksalla on the Hooksett Police Commission on June 24 by the Hooksett Town Council.

Also under consideration were Clark Karolian, Richard Sullivan and Steven L’Heureux. There was some controversy regarding the council’s unwritten policy not to appoint anyone with police experience, which both Karolian and L’Heureux had.

After McHugh was appointed to fill the three-year term, councilors discussed the possibility of changing the selection process for that board.

Currently, the town adheres to a policy adopted in 2004 whereby town councilors solicit input from current police commissioners on individuals who apply for open positions.

Members of the public and Town Council expressed their belief the process is flawed.

“I see this as picking the people you want in your club,” Town Councilor Nancy Van-Scoy said. “I don’t see why (the police commissioners) should have any input.”

Resident Matt Comeau said he felt the police commissioners should have no say in who gets appointed to their board because it is ultimately up to the Town Council to make that decision. “I find the fact that they’ve been involved in the process at all is disturbing,” he said. “I’m not really sure why that’s being done.”

The discussion on the issue reached a boiling point after two confidential letters surfaced earlier this month in which Police Commissioners Henry Roy and David Gagnon wrote they thought no one with former police experience should sit on the commission. Three of the six applicants for the volunteer job had police experience on their resumes.

The commissioners justified the letters, explaining they felt that a police background could lead to micromanaging the Police Department – a job that the Police Commission was not set up to do.

Others, including Town Councilor Michael Pischetola, a retired police officer, took offense at the opinion that public safety experience could potentially be harmful in a Police Commission candidate.

Although no action was taken on changing the policy at that council meeting, the issue will be revisited on July 8.

McHugh, who has no police experience in her background, said she will resign from the Hooksett Planning Board. She said she has no immediate plans to bring about sweeping reform to the police commission, which has drawn its share of public scrutiny in recent months.