NH has new marshal in town

Leo Gonzales

By Lois Mittino Gray

There is a new Town Marshal in New Harmony and he may be a familiar face to many residents. Members of the New Harmony Town Council unanimously voted to hire Leo Gonzales as the new lawman at their meeting on October 21. He brings 14 years of experience working as a police officer and 7 years of military experience to the position.

“After advertising in the media, contacting the FOP and other police organizations, and word of mouth among professionals, we interviewed many good candidates and narrowed it down to three to consider. We chose Mr. Gonzales who is already trained and certified and has an outstanding reputation,” remarked Town Council President Jeff Smotherman. “He has a great demeanor and conducts himself well. He has a great relationship with the county community.”

“His passion for community policing was a selling point for me,” added Councilwoman Connie Weinzapfel.

Leo Gonzales is currently a Police Officer for Deaconess Hospital since 2022. Prior to this, he was a Police Officer for the City of Mount Vernon for 11 years. During these years, he served in many capacities including as a patrolman, the High School Resource Officer from 2018-2021, as a Sergeant for three years, and as a Lieutenant for two years. He assisted with the Junior Police Academy, taught classes for officers, and served on police special teams.

The new Town Marshal was also a Security Officer at SABIC for a year before joining the city force.

He entered the US Army in 2004, stayed until 2009, and had two deployments overseas. He was a Sergeant/ Artillery Squad Leader deployed in Mosul for 13 months and in Bagdad for 15 months. He notes he was responsible for leading 3-5 soldiers and responsible for making quick decisions in stressful situations. Afterwards, he was a Staff Sergeant/Squad Leader for the US National Guard, based out of Evansville. He had a squad of 4-7 soldiers and was responsible for squad equipment and artillery pieces.

He touts his skills as communication, law enforcement, and martial arts. He is bilingual with English and Spanish. He attended Pershing County High school in Lovelock, Nevada and was graduated in 2004.

Marshal Gonzalez lives in the county with his wife, Chelsey; son, Isaiah; and daughter, Lena. “I’m excited and so honored to accept this position,” he said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Town councilors voted to raise the pay scale for the Town Marshall job description earlier in the same meeting to remain competitive with the surrounding area. Gonzales will receive a salary of $69,000. There will be an employee benefits package, uniform allowance, equipment and a patrol car, too.

Gonzales may be accessed at the Town Hall, although a new office is being prepared for the Marshal at the former fire garage. It was announced he is expected to start on the job around October 31 or November 1.

“Great. It would be nice to get him for Halloween,” Councilman Tom Williams said with a smile.