Swampscott Police Chief Ron Madigan To Retire Next Month

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott Police Chief Ron Madigan will become the latest chief on the North Shore to leave his post next month when he retires from the department after 21 years in the position.

Madigan will retire on July 15 after 41 years in the department. State law requires police officers, firefighters and corrections officers to retire at age 65.

Swampscott's search for a new permanent chief will begin with a comprehensive recruitment and selection process that will include public dialogue and input from community stakeholders. Dave Kurz, a senior consultant for Municipal Resources Inc., will serve as interim chief until a permanent successor can be found.

"Chief Madigan is a true public servant, and he will leave a legacy of progress," Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said in a statement to Patch. "I am proud of his forward-leaning leadership and focus on police accreditation standards, professionalism, and community service.

"We will all miss his wonderful personality and unique knowledge of Swampscott lore."

Madigan began his career in the Swampscott PD in 1980 as a reserve and became a full-time officer in 1982. He was named the town's chief in 2001 and cites the department's state accreditation in 2018 as one of his most important accomplishments for the 32-person force.

"I would like to thank the entire Swampscott Community, for their support as we have worked to improve quality of life, solve problems, and make our town safer for all who live, work and visit here," Madigan said. "It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve with so many dedicated men and women who have worn this badge and have worked hard to serve and protect this community."

Madigan becomes the 14th police chief to resign or retire along the North Shore over the past two years. In just the past month, Danvers, Salem and Marblehead have named new permanent chiefs to lead their respective departments.

His retirement also follows a trying year for the police in the town as officers dealt with near-weekly protests at Gov. Charlie Baker's home and clashing protests downtown between supporters of former President Donald Trump and Black Lives Matters supporters.

An arrest at one of those protests in December led to an independent review in the town where police were criticized for their handling of the case at the same time it was determined they had probable cause for the initial arrest based on tensions at the scene and known facts at the time.

Swampscott Select Board Chair Peter Spellios, who pushed for the independent review, praised Madigan's work with the department throughout his two-decade run as chief.

"Chief Madigan has been an amazing partner in making Swampscott better," he said. "He has the respect, support and love of the department and people of Swampscott, not because of his position or authority, but because of his incredible compassion, thoughtfulness, integrity, humility and love of Swampscott."

Kurz is the former police chief of Durham, N.H. and has 40 years of law enforcement experience, including 22 as chief. He is a contributing author cited in former President Barack Obama's 21st Century Policing Task Force designed to strengthen community policing nationwide.

The University of Southern Maine graduate also graduated from the FBI National Academy and has been an International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership course instructor.

The town said Kurz is looking forward to working closely with Chief Madigan over the next month to ensure a smooth transition.

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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.)