The process for selecting Watertown’s next Police Chief has started and City Manager George Proakis will hold a meeting to hear from the public about selecting the next chief.
The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:
The City Manager is seeking community input as he starts the process of selecting the next police chief for the Watertown Police Department. Please join us on Monday, July 24, 2023 at 6:00 PM at the Watertown Free Public Library, Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room. The Library is located at 123 Main Street in Watertown.
Great candidates from inside, stay there. Outside Chiefs very rarely succeed.
I am glad the City Manager is seeking to get as much input on the next police chief for Watertown as possible. Our police department has be at the center of a number of very troubling events recently. After costing the tax payers roughly $7m dollars for the sexual harassment case to the most recent event where former officer Kevin Rooney was suspended by the POST commission and is about to go to trial for rape and assault & battery of a women this fall.
We should be looking for a new Chief that has a history of setting an extremely high bar for their officers as well creating a culture with the highest standards of integrity.
Agree with Mr. Mannix. Several great candidates already on the WPD.
Indeed. Let’s promote from within. No need to go anywhere else.
With all the corruption and scandals from within the police department, wouldn’t promoting from within just help to continue the culture of corruption at the Watertown Police Department?
No.
Corruption?
I would consider keeping an officer charged with a felony on the payroll for almost a year corruption
I agree with Robert Mannix. I’d also like to see someone who lives in Watertown, who has real connections to the community. I realize that’s not always possible and perhaps could have some downside. But I think pluses outweigh the minuses. If the person doesn’t live in Watertown, at the very least let’s promote from within.
I agree that we need high standards, just as important we need Chief that will create and maintain a positive work environment. The morale of our officers, detectives, and so on is very important. We need a Chief that will defend our force from the frivolous claims of agenda driven special interests that simply don’t like the police.
The next Police Chief should be an independent voice, not someone from the existing department. Candidates from within would be likely to “protect” officers who commit wrongdoing, perhaps because of longstanding personal relationships or alliances within the department. Over and over and over again across the U.S., we’ve seen police officers use excessive force to injure or kill unarmed people (often those of color), then lie to cover it up until a spectator video emerges to catch the lie. It has happened in Massachusetts too. We need a Police Chief who is honest in every circumstance and will take quick action.
I’ve always thought that police officers should insure themselves, the same way real estate agents and other professionals do. If they assault someone, the insurance carrier would have to pay the victim in a court case (as opposed to the city/town/state being sued). After two or three law suits, the carrier would cancel the insurance for the officer who repeats the behavior. So no insurance, no job.
I’d like to see a female Police Chief considered for Watertown, who lives in Watertown, considering all the sexual assault and harassment charges lately.