WINDSOR—After serving as the town’s top cop for nearly five years, Windsor Police Chief Robert Porti is leaving to join the Franklin Police Department.

Porti resigned from his Windsor post effective Friday, May 14.

“We hate to lose him,” said Town Manager Michael Stallings. “He’s been a great asset to the town.”

Stallings said he has established a selection panel to look into hiring a new chief to oversee the town’s four police officers.

“We’ve got a blue ribbon panel of former chiefs that are going to help me through the process,” he said.

The panel includes Gilbert Jackson, William Corvello and William Freeman.

Jackson is a former chief of police for Suffolk. Corvello served as the superintendent of the Virginia State Police, the chief of police in Newport News and as interim chief in Portsmouth on two different occasions. Freeman served stints as the acting and interim police chief in Suffolk.

Stallings said Thursday the town would begin advertising for the position at the end of the week and would accept applications until June 23.

“Hopefully, we will have someone selected by the end of July or early August,” he said.

Stallings said the town would miss Porti.

“He has done wonderful things for the town and Franklin’s getting a wonderful person in Chief Porti,” Stallings said.

Porti was named the chief of police in Windsor in October 2005 after leaving the Pittsburgh Police Department. Prior to his work in Pittsburgh, the U. S. Air Force veteran with eight years active service, worked for the Town of Smithfield.