# Police chiefs getting hard to find



## Gil (Jun 15, 1998)

Police chiefs getting hard to find
Many candidates opt out of top job
By Joyce Pellino Crane, Globe Correspondent | January 14, 2007

For several years Richard Burrows appeared to be the heir apparent to Tyngsborough Police Chief John Miceli. But late last month Burrows decided to remain deputy chief.

His decision not to apply for police chief before the Feb. 1 deadline illustrates a trend across Massachusetts, according to a representative of police chiefs in the state.

For a variety of reasons, second-in-command supervisors are increasingly choosing to sidestep a promotion to the top job.

Asked why he isn't trying to become chief, Burrows would only say: "I enjoy it here. I grew up here, and I don't see myself going anywhere else. I'd like to finish my career here in Tyngsborough."

According to A. Wayne Sampson, who retired as Shrewsbury's police chief in December and became executive director of the Shrewsbury-based Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the decision could reflect the complexities of the top job.

"What you're seeing there is fairly common right now," he said. "In a lot of our communities, existing supervisors are not applying for the chief's jobs. A lot of them just don't want the budgetary issues. They don't want to deal with the politics and the public exposure in making the decisions the chiefs are required to make."

Sampson said the average tenure of a police chief today is seven years, though several chiefs in the area have reached or exceeded that benchmark.

Miceli, who steps down on Feb. 1, spent 10 years in Tyngsborough. Retired Chelmsford police chief Raymond G. McCusker served seven years.

John Mackey, now a Tewksbury selectman, was that town's chief for 16 years. Westford Police Chief Robert Welch was appointed chief in 1994 after serving as interim chief for a few years.

"Being a chief today is such a wearing political environment for law enforcement," Sampson said. "It's extremely difficult for a chief to maintain the stability with an agency over a long period of time."

To show officers' reluctance to seek the chief's job, Sampson cited several examples from around the state.

In Shrewsbury, Sergeant James Hester Jr. was promoted to chief on Monday, but only two out of eight existing internal supervisors had applied for the position, Sampson said.

"I think everyone was surprised" at how few applied, he said.

Shrewsbury Town Manager Daniel Morgado said the town advertised regionally and drew 18 applicants, but prefers an internal candidate.

In Northbridge, Police Chief Walter J. Warchol said it took about six months and some cajoling by the former town manager to persuade him to jump from the position of lieutenant to chief.

"It's a different type of job from being a lieutenant," he said. A lieutenant is somewhat shielded from local politics, but "as a community leader you're more exposed . . . to that public eye."

Warchol added that his current position brings in less income than the lieutenant's position, because the lower rank allowed him to work details and get paid overtime.

"When you look at it from a financial standpoint, you're making less money because of the hours you put in," he said. "It wouldn't have bothered me to finish my career as a lieutenant. . . . I did what was best for me and best for my family. But some days when you look at the hours you put in at home, you question it."

In Westford, Welch has publicly highlighted the higher compensation for the town's deputy chief, Thomas McEnaney. In September he filed a lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court against the town over an ongoing salary dispute.

Welch said he will earn a salary of $124,150 for a 40-hour-a-week schedule this fiscal year, which includes a state educational incentive of $24,800. McEnaney will earn $121,705.20 in the same period with almost the same educational incentive, but as a member of the police union, he will work 37.5 hours per week.

Both administrators hold master's degrees in criminal justice from Anna Maria College in Paxton, said Welch.

Last month Welch announced he would retire Jan. 1, 2008. In a phone interview with the Globe last month, Welch said an internal candidate would probably be promoted to chief.

Neither Welch nor McEnaney returned calls seeking comment for this article .

In Tyngsborough, Miceli has a 40-hour week and an annual salary of $113,370, including a 25 percent state educational incentive. Burrows, the deputy chief, is earning $99,207 with the same educational incentive for the same number of weekly hours.

For the open police chief position, town officials are advertising a base salary of $85,000 to $100,000. Town Administrator Rosemary Cashman said she's received about 25 resumes so far from as far away as Florida.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/01/14/police_chiefs_getting_hard_to_find/


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## Guest (Jan 15, 2007)

Too bad....I went to the academy with Rich Burrows, he'd make a hell of a police chief.


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## alphadog1 (Oct 16, 2006)

Pelham chief leaving, wants Tyngsboro job
By CHRIS CAMIRE, Sun Staff
Article Last Updated: 01/24/2007 12:11:26 PM EST

PELHAM -- Police Chief Evan Haglund announced last night that he will retire in May after seven years at the helm of the department. Haglund, a 28-year veteran of the town's police force, said he will apply to become Tyngsboro's next police chief. 
"I'm looking for new challenges in my life. I'm way too young to retire," said Haglund, who is 51. "I have a lot to offer other communities as well as my own. It's something I'm not just going to fade away at." Haglund, who lives in Pelham, said a recently passed New Hampshire law allowed him to add five years to his service, making him eligible for retirement. 
"An opportunity like this only happens onext Pelham police chief. 
"He's committed to continuing moving the department forward while always addressing the needs of the community first," Haglund said. "I have the utmost faith in Captain Roark and his ability to lead the Pelham Police department well into the future." 
During his tenure as chief, Haglund said he is most proud of getting a $6.3 million reconstruction project of the former E.G. Sherburne School building for use as a police station and municipal offices passed in 2002. 
Under Haglund's leadership, drug enforcement has become a major priority of the department, with the belief that it reduces burglaries and thefts. The department also recently partnered with the Hillsboro County Sheriff's and Attorney's offices to create a task force to catch Internet predators. It has netted 13 arrests so far. 
The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted to accept Haglund's resignation last night. The board will soon begin the process of selecting a new chief. 
"I consider the chief not only a competent and capable chief, but a friend," Selectman Ed Gleason said. "This town is going to be worse off than it was." Haglund plans to apply for the Tyngsboro chief position before the Feb. 1 deadline. Tyngsboro Police Chief John Miceli, 56, will retire on Feb. 1 after a decade as Tyngsboro's top cop. 
The Tyngsboro position is advertised as paying $85,000 to $100,000, with additional compensation for educational accomplishments, as allowed under Massachusetts law. The town has received about 25 applications so far, said Town Administrator Rosemary Cashman. Haglund earned $82,946 in 2005, according to the town report. 
"Tyngsboro is very similar in size and staffing," said Haglund. "We've been very proud that we've been able to manage a fiscally responsible budget and still make the achievements that we've accomplished over the years, and those are the challenges that have been facing the Tyngsboro police chief as well.nce in a lifetime," he said. "This was not an easy decision, but I feel it is in the best interest of my family."

Lowell police Capt. DeMoura eyes post as Tyngsboro's top cop
By CHRIS CAMIRE, Sun Staff
Article Last Updated: 01/16/2007

TYNGSBORO -- Lowell Police Capt. Robert DeMoura is applying to become the next Tyngsboro Police Chief. 
DeMoura, 52, has served for 21 years on Lowell's police force. Before coming to Lowell, he worked as a police officer in Hampton and Hudson, N.H. 
"Knowing the smaller towns, I feel this will be a great way to end my career," said DeMoura. "I think as Tyngsboro grows, it will come across problems I've seen tenfold in the city." 
Tyngsboro Police Chief John Miceli, 56, is to retire on Feb. 1 after a decade as Tyngsboro's top cop. 
Deputy Police Chief Richard Burrows, who will serve as interim police chief in Miceli's absence, will not be a candidate to replace him. DeMoura said he would make alcohol and drug prevention among the youth a major part of his agenda in Tyngsboro. In Hudson, he was responsible for implementing a diversion program designed to keep young people out of the court system. He also started a suicide-prevention program when a connection was found between increased substance abuse and suicide.

"Clearly, it's been shown I've focused on drug and alcohol prevention. It's always been focal point of my career," said DeMoura. 
As a young sergeant in Lowell, DeMoura implemented the department's community-policing effort in the early 1990s and has been a sector commander. He also brought a stolen-car task force and insurance-fraud task force to the city. 
DeMoura now commands the vice unit and criminal bureau, overseeing about 40 detectives and all major investigations. The department has solved an unprecedented three cold cases under his command, and made arrests in all but two of this year's 11 murders. 
DeMoura, who lives in Chelmsford, applied for the Lawrence chief's job in the late 1990s and he unsuccessfully ran for Middlesex Sheriff in 2004. 
The Board of Selectmen is currently conducting a "worldwide search" for a new chief. 
Tyngsboro is accepting applications until Feb. 1. The position is advertised as paying $85,000 to $100,000, with additional compensation for educational accomplishments, as allowed under Massachusetts law. The town has received about 25 applications so far, said Town Administrator Rosemary Cashman. 
Other likely candidates include Scott Ubele, Chelmsford's deputy police chief and Lowell Police Capt. Deborah Friedl, who also lives in Tyngsboro. Another Tyngsboro resident who has expressed interest in the job is Lowell Police Sgt. Steven O'Neill.

Chris Camire's e-mail address is [email protected].


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