LAWRENCE — Job ads for the city’s next police chief appeared on a variety of websites and a consulting firm was hired to help officials sift through resumes and credentials for those seeking the job.
Lawrence has not had a permanent police chief since June 30, 2023, when Chief Roy Vasque retired after reaching a $780,000 settlement with the city.
Since then, LPD has had three temporary police chiefs including its current leader, Lt. Melix Bonilla.
In June, Mayor Brian DePena said he was kicking off a “transparent” and “public” national search for the next police chief. Shortly after, he sought applicants from the community for a police chief search committee.
Now, five months later, the city has hired a consulting firm, MGT, to assist with the search. Job descriptions popped up on LinkedIn and Indeed, professional networking social media sites, on websites for the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Hispanic American Police Command Association and others.
The job description calls Lawrence a vibrant and growing community of 89,000 persons with a police department of 172 sworn officers, 27 civilian staffers and three unions.
“The city offers excellent schools, parks, recreational facilities, and a variety of housing options. Governed under a mayor-council system, Lawrence is a business-friendly community with a strong emphasis on community-oriented policing,” according to the ad. “The Police Department values respect, cooperation, and community involvement. The next Chief of Police will uphold these values, maintain high professional standards, and engage with the community. The ideal candidate will be an innovative thinker with substantial managerial experience in law enforcement, strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to customer service.”
The contract with MGT consulting will cost the city around $20,000, said Mark Ianello, the city’s Chief Administrative and Finance Officer.
Ianello is also currently serving as the city’s acting personnel director, another vacant city position. DePena’s chief of staff, Santiago Matias, also recently left his job at City Hall, officials said.
The deadline to apply for the job is Dec. 18 but Ianello said there is some wiggle room there depending on whether MGT thinks the advertisement should remain active longer.
Ianello said MGT is “very familiar” with this type of job search and will narrow the field of candidates to be reviewed locally.
He expects a search committee of Lawrence community members and officials to be organized in January.
Prior to Bonilla, Captain Michael McCarthy and William Castro, a retired corrections officer and political ally of DePena, also served as acting Lawrence police chiefs.
In the fiscal year 2025 budget, which started July 1, $245,235 was allocated for the police chief’s salary.
Officer Paul MacMillan, president of the Lawrence Patrolmen’s Association, said the union “awaits a new police chief with a new vision” for the LPD.
“We have been without a permanent chief since the retirement of Chief Vasque. For the last year and a half we have had 3 acting chiefs. During this time, we have had multiple officers leave the department due to the instability within the ranks,” MacMillan said on Friday, in a prepared statement to The Eagle-Tribune.
“We are looking for a new leader that is qualified with the proper background and experience to move the LPD into the future. The new Chief should seek advanced trainings for officers, new technologies and have a vision for recruitment and retention of officers. We would love to be a part of the search for a new leader who will be able to focus on the protection and service to the residents and businesses in Lawrence,” MacMillan said.
Sgt. Michael Simard, president of the superior officers’ union, declined comment for this story.
However, the superior officers union previously said they feel the next police chief can be hired from within the ranks and pointed to bilingual candidates with experience and institutional knowledge they felt would be exceptional in the post.
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter @EagleTribJill.