BLANDFORD -- The citizens of this sleepy hilltown hardly seemed gripped by panic the day after its entire police department bailed out Monday night.

People trickled in and out of the country store and post office on Route 23, which bisects the town of roughly 1,300 that borders Russell and Huntington, Tolland and Otis. There are two churches, a Historical Society, a small building for the town's municipal offices, a ski area and a golf and tennis club.

Blandford's police force numbered all of four. They said they quit over working conditions and budget constraints. Interim Police Chief Roberta Sarnacki and her three part-time officers abruptly bid the town adieu in a letter to officials Monday night. Their resignations were effective immediately.

A number of media outlets descended on the town Tuesday, dogging residents running errands for their thoughts on the exodus. Many politely declined.

Of the few willing to talk publicly about it, the general consensus seemed to be: "Meh."

During an interview in front of the post office, lifelong resident Todd Patterson said he believes the police department is superfluous at best and leans heavily on the Massachusetts State Police barracks.

"They had zero presence here. And we basically have zero crime," Patterson said. "You may have some breaking and entering calls or domestic violence calls but those are all answered by the Russell state police, which is right down the road."

In the town's 2016-2017 annual report, former Blandford Police Chief Kevin M. Hennessy cited 158 calls for police service in 2016. Hennessy bemoaned budget cuts in the report and cited the department's office hours as 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. each Monday.

Hennessy's message also encouraged people to visit the department's website. But sometime between that annual report and Tuesday, it appears, the department lost control of the domain name. Now, the URL redirects visitors to an adult website featuring explicit webcams.

State police cruisers maintained a relatively high profile on Route 23 Tuesday, and Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi pledged six of his staff two work two night shifts in marked cruisers Monday night into Tuesday morning.

Cocchi said he planned to do the same Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

"I don't know how long this is going to go on ... but that is part of Hampden County and I don't want them to feel abandoned," Cocchi said in an interview Tuesday.

Among his staff who worked the dog watch in Blandford Monday night, investigator and retired FBI agent Barry Ross said the shift was very quiet. But as day broke, he was surprised at the reception from residents.

"There were lots of beeps, and thumbs-up and people mouthing 'thank you.' And not just a few people -- I mean a lot of people. It was pretty cool," Ross said.

Ross, like Cocchi, said they don't necessarily anticipate a rash of crime in Blandford, but want residents to feel safe.

"We just don't want anyone to get any ideas," Ross said.

At the town municipal complex on Russell Stage Road, police cruisers sat idly, although one was positioned prominently at the mouth of the parking lot.

Patterson said even when the department was operational an empty squad car often sat in the same spot. He recalled days when the police force was entirely volunteer -- up until the late 1980s or early 1990s, he estimates.

"They used to have budgets of $500 and buy their own stuff: their own cars and lights. They'd share a radar detector and actually write tickets, generating revenue for the town," he said.

Patterson said he does not blame Sarnacki for complaining about the department's budget and outdated equipment and cruisers, but feels his tax dollars are ill-spent when they have a capable, well-trained police barracks virtually down the street.

He said the top law enforcement priority in the town that could easily be handled by a civilian administrator:

"Pistol permits," he said.

Sarnacki, who had only been interim chief for approximately one month before the walk-out, has not responded to requests for comment.