Community Policing, Equity Priorities For Next Marblehead Chief

MARBLEHEAD, MA — A commitment to community policing, racial equity and recognizing the differences between criminal behavior and those in need of mental health support were among the priorities Marblehead residents said they are seeking in the next police chief during a public forum on the town's search.

A recent town survey showed the words "community," "integrity," "transparency," "town" and "honesty" were among the most common words in the 130 responses to a recent town survey on what residents are looking for in the next chief, while those who spoke at Monday night's forum stressed the need for a chief who represents the values of the town when it comes to civil rights, racial inclusiveness and mental health awareness.

"It's very important to build a sense of community in the town and for police to get to know people," said Judy Gates, a 55-year Marblehead resident. "Police need to find solutions that aren't always 'lock 'em up.'"

The public forum was part of the Search Committee process that is currently soliciting applications to replace retiring Chief Robert Picariello. Applications are due April 20 with a Search Committee review scheduled for the week of April 26.

The top five candidates will be selected and interviewed in May with the hope that a top candidate will be selected for an offer by May 24.

Finalists will be chosen through an assessment method with the public invited into the process when the top three candidates are selected next month.

"Any final candidates have to understand the community gets to decide how they are policed, not the police chief," said Frederick Ryan, a retired Arlington police chief whose consulting company is helping the town with the search.

Anne Stevenson, a court-appointed civil commitment attorney in Marblehead, noted that most of her clients in the town wind up being referred for mental health issues instead of criminally prosecuted.

"When a police department gets sued, when a town gets sued, it's usually going to be from somebody who got arrested," she said. "And civil rights and equality are things that we need to look at, and make sure that the new candidate is going to put us in a good position and shares our values in that respect."

She suggested bringing in consultants from the American Civil Liberties Union, or similar organizations, to help with the process. Ryan said the committee is looking to talk with any "community stakeholder" individuals or groups who want to have input into the criteria and characteristics sought for the next chief.

Ryan said he has been proactive in engaging with organizations representing minority and women police officers to recruit candidates, but noted with so many communities seeking new chiefs this year qualified candidates have been sparse.

"It is a challenge in the current climate of criminal justice reform and issues around collective bargaining," Ryan said. "It's a challenging job and the recruitment process is challenging as well."

He said the recent Salem police search yielded only nine candidates who went through the assessment process before five finalists were selected.

Town Administrator Jason Silva allowed the competition for qualified candidates is difficult, but that he hopes the town's character and location will be among the attractions.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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