It’s just after lunchtime Thursday, three days after his swearing in as Westport’s new police chief. Christopher Dunn wants to get one thing down before he begins: “When we’re talking, no need to use chief. Just call me Chris.”

His request isn’t surprising. Dunn, a member of the Westport force since 1999, seems most comfortable when talking informally to friends and the many, many people he knows in town. He loves Westport — loves the small town feel, loves the open space, the farms and the fishing. And he loves the job, three days in.

“It’s a calling,” he says. “When I hear ‘Hey Chief,’ there’s an excitement. It’s like, ‘Wow, I’m here and it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I started as a police officer.”

For the next hour, Chief Dunn expounds on the years of work that went into last Monday’s swearing in ceremony, when town clerk Kristin Swinson swore him in as successor to retired Chief Keith Pelletier. He touches on the department’s future, the benefits of living in a small town like Westport, and what inspires him:

Have you always wanted to be a police officer?

“Absolutely. I grew up in Somerset and my family was friends with a sergeant on the Swansea force. I remember I was 10 years old, he called my mom up and said, ‘Hey, I want to take Chris for a ride.’ I can tell you everything we did. We assisted a disabled motor vehicle on Route 195, he drove me around and talked about the job. I remember when he dropped me off at my house, I said, ‘Wow, this is what I want to do.’”

Explain your career path?

“It was a pursuit. I studied criminology at Bridgewater State, and I had an internship in Fall River District Court. I joined the force part time in 1998. I was 24, hired as a reserve officer. I attended the municipal police academy in 1999 and started that June. I’ve been here ever since. First and last job.”

Was becoming chief always a goal?

“I’ve always aspired and the end goal was always chief. I always look at it as taking a small steps approach. You have to do your time, so to speak. I did my time as an officer a bit, and then I became a detective, and that opened me up to a whole new realm of law enforcement.”

What attracted you to law enforcement?

It may be a cliche, but helping people. I’ve always been one of those that tries to help people out and fix problems. You’re not always going to be able to do that but you can help. I love going to Lee’s to shop. People stop and talk to me. They may be talking about a family member, a friend, and they do that because they know I’m accessible, and they know I’ll listen. To me that is one of the most rewarding parts of my career.

What has it been like your first week in the chief’s chair?

“It’s humbling to be called chief — I’m extremely proud of the hard work I’ve done throughout my career. We’re in a time of transition right now, and (officers) have made the transition as smooth as possible. Everyone’s kind of letting me get in my seat. So the attitude has been great. And I want them to know that we’re in this together. I’m leading, but everyone’s going to be there with me.”

You are only three days in, but what’s been the biggest challenge so far?

“There’s a budget presentation coming at the end of the month. There’s a lot that you know, but a lot that you have to learn. But it’s just learning — honestly, just sitting back and listening, attending roll call, having lunch with the officers. I don’t mind being put on the spot — I believe everything good comes from hard work. I don’t excel at any one particular thing and I may not know everything, but I’ll outwork you.”

What’s it like working in a small town department like Westport?

“There are benefits. It’s more of a family atmosphere. Wherever you go, there’s a bond (with other law enforcement officers outside of Westport). But when you’re in a small police department, it’s more intimate.

It’s early in your tenure, but do you have any goals to help the department grow?

“Approachability. I want everyone to know the police officers and to feel comfortable with them. That’s going to schools, meeting with seniors. I would like to have senior liaison position. In five years, over half the population of Westport is going to be over the age of 55. I think we need to build a better relationship with people. That could be as simple as an officer going once a month to the senior center, sitting and having a cup of coffee and talking. And in the schools. I give a ton of credit to the teachers, we have a great relationship with (school superintendent Thomas) Aubin.

What are you doing with the schools these days?

“We do this thing called High Five Fridays, it used to be called. Police get together, students get off the bus and wee give them high fives. It’s just to show them we’re here and we’re not these big scary people. We did that this morning even though it’s a Thursday. If we did this every Friday, eventually it would lose its luster. So I think, let’s come up with different versions of High Five Friday to keep it fresh. I (told school resource officers Scott Davis and Sara Pacheco), reach out to other SROs and see what they do. And then come back and let’s have a discussion. Superintendent (Thomas) Aubin is a great supporter of the police and it definitely resonates with the teachers as well.”

Do you think police officers are seen as unapproachable by the public?

“I’m not trying to say police officers aren’t approachable — I think we are. We are fortunate that we have a lot of support from the public. And we should be out there. The first thing is for our men and women to continue to provide quality customer service to the residents of the town. We’re in that customer service profession a little bit. It may sound cliched and every chief probably says that about their department, but it’s the truth. To see them and to see where they’re at today is a sense of pride.”

What do you do away from the job?

Fishing for me is an outlet. I have a 23-foot center console. We’re so fortunate that you don’t need to target any one species here. They just come to you and you fish it.

What do you love about Westport?

We bought our house in 2005 on a dead end street in the north end. I’m not a handy person, but I have neighbors and I call them up. It’s great, we have block parties and it’s a good place to be. I’d love to keep Westport a secret as long as I can, just in general. The farm land, the open space, the people. It’s home.”