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Fallsburg, NY - When Sonny Smith learned that Simmie Williams made police chief, she baked him a cake.

Soon after, Williams called to thank her and then stopped by her shoe store on Main Street with a wide smile on his face. That's why she adores him. "He never puts himself above anybody," Smith said, fitting a shoe for a little girl.

Williams, 41, has risen through the ranks, serving in almost every job in the Fallsburg police department over 18 years. He was appointed chief in late June, replacing John Calvello, who retired. The 18-officer force covers an area of 100 square miles. Fallsburg booms in the summer, bringing a culture clash. Then, in the winter, hundreds of seasonal homes are empty and ripe for burglary.

Williams says smalltown policing is best done getting to know, and getting along with, people.

Last month, when a Brooklyn man was charged in a hit-and-run that killed a man on Main Street and tensions were running high, Williams called Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox leaders. They got the word out about driving and walking safety on local roads.

"It is easy to arrest somebody, but to sit down and put yourself in their shoes and understand what they are going through, that's the tough part of the job," Williams said.