CHESHIRE, MA – A Western Massachusetts police chief was taken into custody Thursday night after allegedly attempting to solicit sex from an undercover state police detective in a school parking lot.
Michael Alibozek, 53, chief of the Cheshire Police Department, was arrested around 9:45 p.m. at Hoosac Valley Middle and High School following an online sting operation conducted by the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit, according to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators say Alibozek had been communicating online with an undercover detective before arranging to meet at the school location. He was charged with sexual conduct for a fee, a misdemeanor offense in Massachusetts.
Following his arrest, Alibozek was immediately placed on paid administrative leave from his position. The town also seized his service weapon and revoked his access to the police station, officials confirmed Monday.
Alibozek began serving as Cheshire’s police chief in June 2022. Prior to that appointment, he worked for the Mount Holyoke College Police Department and served as an emergency medical technician, according to The Berkshire Eagle.
The Town of Cheshire held an emergency Selectboard meeting Friday to address the situation and appoint an acting chief. However, as of Monday morning, no replacement had been named, said Town Administrator Jennifer Morse.
Town officials reported the incident to the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, which oversees police certification and conduct in the state.
Alibozek appeared Monday for an administrative hearing in Northern Berkshire District Court. The case remains under investigation by state police.
The arrest has sent shockwaves through the small Berkshire County community, where Alibozek had served as the top law enforcement official for more than two years.
