Leaders within the city of Canton are searching for its subsequent everlasting police chief, inviting residents within the Larger Boston suburb to take part within the search course of within the curiosity of transparency.
An interim chief, Joseph Perkins, a 35-year legislation enforcement veteran, has been main the division since July 1, after Helena Rafferty retired on the finish of the final fiscal 12 months.
Turmoil mired Rafferty’s tenure as chief, with the division confronting sharp backlash for the way it dealt with investigations into the deaths of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe and resident Sandra Birchmore.
Rafferty succeeded Kenneth Berkowitz, who was the chief on the time of O’Keefe’s loss of life on Jan. 29, 2022, and the next investigation. Some on the town had referred to as for Rafferty to resign final 12 months amid Karen Learn’s preliminary homicide trial.
The jury cleared Learn of killing O’Keefe, her boyfriend of two years on the time, in her retrial in June, solely discovering her responsible of drunken driving.
After Perkins was appointed for the interim position, Canton City Administrator Charles Doody stated that he anticipated discovering a everlasting chief by the top of 2025.
City officers are set to host a group discussion board on Sept. 17 at Canton Excessive Faculty to “obtain feedback and input from residents and stakeholders regarding their priorities, concerns, and desired qualifications and characteristics for the next Chief.”
“In advance of attending the listening session,” officers stated in a launch on Tuesday, “community members are encouraged to consider what experience and priorities they believe the next Police Chief should possess. This will help identify candidates with the requisite qualifications and principles to lead the Canton Police Department.”
The city has additionally tapped Public Security Consultants LLC, to information recruitment and evaluation in the course of the search course of.
The skin agency will probably be attending the discussion board later this month and utilizing responses from a group survey to bolster its efforts, in response to officers.
“Please help the Town find the best candidate for this incredibly important position,” Doody stated in a press release. “We welcome all feedback from our residents and look forward to hearing from you.”
On the time of his appointment, Perkins highlighted how he would proceed constructing off findings from a months-long $198,000 audit that an impartial agency carried out of the division.
Fierce considerations from the group across the investigations into O’Keefe’s and Birchmore’s deaths prompted that evaluation.
“I look at the interim position as a coaching position,” Perkins stated in late June. “I have a lot of experience in leadership, coaching and teaching. That’s what I will do for the police department every day.”
