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Main Page Chief choice rankles force
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: Inspector

FITCHBURG -- High-ranking police officers from Lowell and Tewksbury are finalists to become this city's next police chief.
Robert DeMoura, Lowell's acting deputy superintendent, and Timothy Sheehan, Tewksbury's deputy chief, are among four candidates selected by a screening committee at Fitchburg State College yesterday. Also chosen as finalists are Fitchburg Lt. Paul Bozicas and Francis Donchez, retired police commissioner from Bethlehem, Pa.
A fifth candidate, Acting Chief Philip Kearns, was unanimously left off the list of finalists forwarded to Mayor Lisa Wong. Wong will make her choice within a month.
Search Committee Chairman Ralph Romano

Sheehan

said last night said thee five candidates "all did well" but "these four were just one step above." Before his interview, DeMoura said he is interested in the Fitchburg job because it is a chance to move up professionally. DeMoura, 53, has been a member of the Lowell force for 23 years. He said hehas been learning about the area, the Police Department and new Mayor Lisa Wong.
Sheehan said he also was motivated by career growth. "I heard about the employment opportunities, and it sounded like a great chance for advancement," said Sheehan, 43, who was hired by the Tewksbury department at age 21.
Sheehan said he is familiar with Fitchburg, and had visited the college campus on a tour with his teenage son.
Sheehan admitted he was nervous to face the search committee. "If anyone says they're not nervous, they're lying," he joked.
The city is looking to replace Chief Edward Cronin, who accepted a contract buyout in July.
The committee received nearly 30 applicants from around the country and has been narrowing the list of candidates for three months.
All five hour-long interviews were held behind closed doors. The search group was appointed by former Mayor Daniel Mylott, and as such, its activities are not subject to the public's Open Meeting Law.

LOWELL SUN

Posted by: OutOfManyOne

They can never change that department, too much stuff instilled in there. The TPD guy would be a hammer like his boss in Tweksbury, he wouldn't make it a year there.

Posted by: Harley387

Paul Bozicas has my vote! Bozicas is a top notch guy.

Posted by: alphadog1

Committee passes chief candidate

FITCHBURG -- The police chief search committee unanimously voted to pass along the names of four candidates the body interviewed Saturday to Mayor Lisa Wong, but excluded Acting Chief Philip Kearns from that list, according to committee chair Ralph Romano.

The committee had interviewed five candidates -- Kearns, Fitchburg Lt. Paul Bozicas, Lowell Police Acting Deputy Superintendent Robert DeMoura, Tewksbury Deputy Chief Timothy Sheehan, and Francis Donchez, a retired police commissioner from Pennsylvania. Kearns' name was left off the list, Romano said, but for "no specific reason."

"Generally I think the committee felt the other four were exceptional," Romano said Saturday night.

Overall Romano said the five candidates "all did well" but "these four were just one step above."

The committee's members voted unanimously to recommend Bozicas, DeMoura, Sheehan and Donchez, although member Ronald L'Ecuyer, the police union president, was not present.

Romano had said Friday that the committee hoped to give the names to Wong by the end of this week, but were satisfied by the end of the day Saturday, Romano said.

"After we conducted the interviews, the committee seemed to have enough information to move it along," he said.

Romano said he had not spoken directly with Wong about the recommendations, but has sent her an e-mail and voicemail with the information. "The ball's in her court," he said. As for the committee itself, its work is all but completed, according to Romano.

"But if (Wong) wants more information from the committee, we are here," he said, noting the police chief search committee was the "best committee I ever served on."

"It was diverse. Diverse opinion-wise. We had very divergent views and it was just a great group of people to work with," he said.

Committee members began arriving at the Sanders Administration building at Fitchburg State College just after 8 a.m. Saturday morning for the interviews. Committee members -- including Romano, FSC Police Chief James Hamel, Matt Straight, Bernie Stephens, Ward 3 City Councilor Joel Kaddy, Ward 6 Councilor Jody Joseph and Naldi Lopez -- began the interviews in the President's Conference room at 9 a.m. Committee member Nancy Maynard arrived later in the afternoon.

All five of the interviews were closed to the public, and each individual interview lasted approximately an hour. Romano had previously said the committee expected to ask 15 to 20 questions to each candidate.

Bozicas interviewed first Saturday morning. A 24-year veteran of the force, he called the interview "a very interesting experience."

"They asked a variety of questions to see how I would respond," he said. "I don't think there was a right or wrong answer to any of them."

The 55-year-old lieutenant said it was an honor to be considered for the position.

"When I started 24 years ago this was my long-range goal," he said about possibly becoming police chief.

After the first interview, the search committee took a break before reconvening for a 12 p.m. interview with DeMoura, from Lowell's police department.

Prior to his interview, DeMoura said he wasn't nervous. The 53-year-old acting deputy superintendent has been working in the Lowell police force for 23 years. DeMoura said he had been studying the area.

"I've looked into it," he said of the city's history. "I've looked into the police department and the new mayor."

DeMoura said he was interested in the position because it was an opportunity to move up.

For Sheehan, of Tewksbury, career growth was also a motivating factor for applying for the Fitchburg position. The 43-year-old deputy chief was hired by the Tewksbury police department when he was 21.

"I heard about the employment opportunities and it sounded like a great chance for advancement," said Sheehan, who interviewed after DeMoura.
Sheehan admitted he was nervous facing the search committee.

"If anyone says they're not nervous, they're lying," he said jokingly. Sheehan is married and has three teenage children. His daughter and son visited the FSC campus before, when applying to schools. Sheehan said he was familiar with the area, as Tewksbury is a 30-minute car ride away.

Donchez drove five hours from Pennsylvania to his interview with the search committee Saturday.

The 48-year-old retired from his position as police commissioner in Bethlehem, Pa., in 2006. Since that time he has worked as a consultant for the Easton, Pa., police department. Before he retired, Donchez worked in the Bethlehem department for 25 years.

"Six months into it (retirement) I realized, 'I'm a policeman,'" said Donchez, also a practicing attorney. "I need to go back."

Donchez said he has experience handling a large department. The Bethlehem police force has 146 officers, he said.
But Donchez said Fitchburg isn't the only place he's looking, and has interviewed in a handful of other police chief searches around the country. This past summer he interviewed in Falmouth, he said.

Posted by: screamineagle

I second Lt. Bozicas. Very stand up guy!!!

Posted by: Hb13

Third for LT Bozicas!! good guy

Posted by: Hawgcop15

Give it to Lt. Bozicas! He's been serving the city for many years and it should go to someone within the department.

Posted by: kwflatbed

Police union supporting Bozicas
By Brandon Butler
Article Launched: 01/26/2008 10:00:50 AM EST

FITCHBURG -- Fitchburg Police Union members unanimously voted to endorse Lt. Paul Bozicas, a 24-year veteran of the department, to be the next chief of police.
The 84-member union met for about two hours Thursday afternoon and called Bozicas Thursday night to inform him.
"I got the call while I was at the St. Bernard's basketball game and I felt overwhelmed," said Bozicas, one of four finalists for the vacant chief's position.
"How warming to hear that I have the support of the union," he added.
Officer Ronald L'Ecuyer, president of the union and its sole representative on the search committee, wrote Mayor Lisa Wong a letter on Friday informing her of the endorsement.
"The members of the union are pretty passionate about the current situation," L'Ecuyer said. "We had an open discussion at length and after discussing it with our members we decided to unanimously support Lt. Bozicas."
L'Ecuyer said the union is "passionate about wanting to get their voice heard" in the search process and said some members feel slighted that the Police Chief Search Committee voted on Saturday to forward finalists on to Wong without L'Ecuyer being present.
"Feeling ignored and disrespected, the membership feels it is more important now to have their voices heard as to who they wish to be their next leader," L'Ecuyer wrote to Wong in the endorsement letter. L'Ecuyer highlighted Bozicas' experience in community policing, which he said makes him the ideal candidate.

"He's born and raised in this city and has worked 25 years in this department with this community," L'Ecuyer said. "An outsider would be significantly handicapped."
Bozicas is one of four finalists for the position along with former Bethlehem, Pa., Police Commissioner Francis Donchez, Tewksbury Deputy Police Chief Timothy Sheehan and Lowell Acting Deputy Superintendent Robert DeMoura.
Mayor Lisa Wong said the union's endorsement will carry weight in her decision of appointing the next chief.
"It will certainly carry weight but there are a number of factors I'm looking at," she said. "I'll certainly take it into consideration."
While Fitchburg Police Captain Mark Louney said he did not have a comment on any of the finalists, he said he is "dismayed" about the search committee process.
Louney -- who did not apply for the chief's position -- said he was never asked for input on the position from the search committee, which met over six months and solicited about 30 applications for the position.
"I thought it was not proper for the committee to take that type of action without the input of the rank and file of the police department," Louney said. "For a committee on a Saturday afternoon to make determinations about what a city department needs without consulting them is wrong."
The search committee did provide a survey to members of the community and police department, but Louney said he "had no idea" about the survey and was never asked to participate.
Louney said members of the department have more than 1,000 years of combined experience and said the supervisors -- including himself and Captain Charles Tasca -- have more than 70 years of experience.
"We have that dedicated service here and we know the department better than anyone else, don't you think it would be reasonable to listen?" Louney said.
Louney also encouraged Wong to "put her own fingerprint on the search committee" and encouraged Wong to begin the process anew.
Former Mayor Dan H. Mylott appointed the nine-member committee in August 2007. Wong throughout the process said she supported the committee.
"I think why not have her own fingerprint on this process and form her own committee," Louney said.
Councilor at-large Annie DeMartino agreed, and said she would support a new committee being formed.
"I say start the whole thing over again, let her make her own committee, pick the people she trusts," DeMartino said. "This team was picked by another administration that wasn't hers."
DeMartino said Wong picking a new committee would settle any shadow hanging over the process.
"If there's any implying that things weren't right, to leave it with this bad taste in the men that are going to work for this chief, it would only be negative for the police," she said.
Ward 3 Councilor Joel Kaddy, who sat on the search committee, said the mayor has the ultimate authority to do whatever she wants, but said he would be upset if a whole new committee was formed.
"Now all of a sudden the mayor should second guess all the work we put into this?" Kaddy said.
Kaddy said Louney and other members of the department should have approached the committee to offer their thoughts if they felt so strongly about it.
"They could have just asked to meet with the committee," Kaddy said. "I would have more than welcomed that."
When asked if she would form a new search committee, Wong said it is the mayor's responsibility to choose the final candidate. "The only part of this process that is set in stone is that the finalist is the mayor's choice," she said. "In terms of the process, I want to make it as inclusive as possible. The work that was done by the search committee was thorough. I gave them specific instructions, which they followed."

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_8086630

Posted by: Harley387

Well, it's good to see they're taking my advice. LOL

Posted by: Hb13

I hope he gets it he is teaching the con law and crim law classes at my reserve academy right now. Not only does he know this job but like that last article said he has 25 years on the job in that city. Can't beat the knowledge he has of that department with a new arrival to the department even if they are veterans of the job.
Just the all around best choice I say.

You're right Harley387 I think they heard that we were supporting him and listened..or maybe not either way it works

Posted by: LawMan3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harley387

Paul Bozicas has my vote! Bozicas is a top notch guy.

Bozicas was an instructor of mine at MPTC boylston - great guy, he'd be the best bet. if i could vote it would be him in an instant!

Posted by: kwflatbed

FITCHBURG -- Mayor Lisa Wong said she hopes to name a new police chief by the end of the month after background checks are performed on the final two candidates for the position, she said at her weekly press conference in City Hall.
"We are moving forward with the background checks and solidifying bids and contacting consultants," Wong said.
She said she expects the checks to cost between $4,000 and $6,000 total for the two finalists, -- Fitchburg Lt. Paul Bozicas and Lowell Acting Deputy Superintendent Robert DeMoura.
Wong said she did not know where the money would come from to pay for the checks, but said she would look first to the Police Department budget. Wong said she would ensure money is secured before the background checks begin.
Any money appropriation would have to be cleared by the City Council before it can be spent.
Wong said barring any surprising information being revealed during the background checks, she would be ready to make a decision by the end of the month. She said she is not ready yet to make a decision because she wants to wait to see what the checks yield, and she said she is continuing to receive feedback from members of the community on the search.
Wong said the background check will consist of a criminal check of the candidate's past, as well as reviewing financial information and speaking with references and colleagues. "We want to make sure that what's in the records matches up with everything else," she said.

She said the final stage in the process before she names a chief would be to negotiate a contract and come to terms on an agreement.
In other news from Wong's conference, she thanked residents and community members who attended last week's inaugural installment of the monthly First Thursdays party. The downtown block party was themed after the Chinese New Year and Wong said about 300 people in total attended the event.
She said plans for next month's celebration are already underway.
Wong also expressed support for the budget process occurring at the state level. She said on Wednesday Speaker of the House of Representatives Salvatore DiMasi, D-Boston, announced his proposal for a balanced budget that maintains all of the money going to Fitchburg, including fully funding the lottery money and Chapter 70 funds.
To accomplish this, DiMasi recommended an increase in the tobacco tax, corporate tax credit loophole closures and a suspension of unemployment increases. In total, Wong said, DiMasi cut $224 million from the budget, including $100 million in unspecified cuts. "It solidifies the money going to cities and towns, so we're going to be watching this closely to make sure that remains," she said. "We're hopeful but cautious."

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_8260245

Posted by: kwflatbed

Fitchburg taps Lowell deputy

Mr. DeMoura

By Matthew Bruun TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

FITCHBURG— Mayor Lisa A. Wong’s announcement yesterday that she had tapped Lowell Deputy Police Superintendent Robert A. DeMoura to be the next chief of police raised instant and strong reactions within the department.

Officers had publicly backed the other finalist for the job, Fitchburg police Lt. Paul C. Bozicas, a well-liked career member of the department.

Lt. Bozicas said in an interview yesterday he thought that the search was “a sham” and that Ms. Wong had always intended to hire an outsider to replace Edward F. Cronin, who vacated the post last summer amid an increasingly tense relationship with the police union. Mr. Cronin supported Ms. Wong’s mayoral campaign.

“To me, she hasn’t been open and honest,” Lt. Bozicas said yesterday. “I treat the prisoners I book in the booking room with more respect than the mayor afforded me in this.”

“It was a difficult decision,” Ms. Wong said late yesterday. “There were two qualified candidates. At the end of the day, I prioritized both management skills and someone who has experience leading in an urban environment. These are two things that his record showed he excelled in.”

She said Deputy Superintendent DeMoura was offered the job late last week and said yes to the position yesterday morning. Base pay for the three-year contract will be $88,000, she said, and he is expected to start work in Fitchburg in about a month.

“Deputy Superintendent DeMoura is a highly qualified individual who will bring new energy, management experience, stellar references and a life of public service to our city,” the mayor said in a prepared statement issued yesterday afternoon.

Deputy Superintendent DeMoura has been a member of the Lowell Police Department since 1985 and was named captain in 1998 and deputy superintendent last year.

“During my career in the Lowell Police Department, I have played a leading role in the department’s transformation from an old-style reactionary police agency to a nationally recognized leader in community policing,” he said in a statement. “With community support I envision the Fitchburg Police Department will garner similar recognition.

“I look forward to leading a team of dedicated police officers and continuing the work to establish trust between the community and the police department,” he continued. “High standards of ethical conduct and integrity will be key in coordinating citywide efforts and increasing community involvement.”

The appointment must be ratified by the City Council. Its Appointments Committee is expected to meet within two weeks to interview the candidate.

“It’s the mayor’s appointment,” Council President Thomas J. Conry Jr. said yesterday, declining to detail his reaction to the mayor’s selection. “I really think we have to let it play out. It’s not unusual for a new mayor to pick people she’d want to be surrounded by.”

Reaction within the department was swift and furious.

Lt. Bozicas said he tried to reach Ms. Wong on Monday after hearing persistent rumors that Deputy Superintendent DeMoura had been offered the job. He left messages with his cell phone number but only heard back from her yesterday, when she told him she had offered the job to the Lowell candidate, Lt. Bozicas said.

“I’ve never sat down face to face with Mayor Wong,” he said. “How do you hire someone without having a sit-down, face-to-face interview?”

He said his only contact with the mayor was a 30-minute telephone interview seven weeks ago, and his presence with Deputy Superintendent DeMoura at a public forum over which she presided last month.

Lt. Bozicas said he was offended that Ms. Wong did not return his calls on Monday.

“We believe the mayor’s decision was a mistake and it was a personal insult to the men and women of this police department,” said Officer Ronald L’Ecuyer, president of the Fitchburg Police Union.

Officer L’Ecuyer said the last two mayors have hired the chief from outside the department, which he said suggests years of committed service to the department isn’t sufficient to earn the top job.

He said officers were still upset over the handling of acting Chief Philip J. Kearns Jr.’s application for the post. Officer L’Ecuyer was not present when the rest of the committee voted to exclude the acting chief from the pool of finalists submitted to the mayor, meaning the department’s voice was not heard. Other captains in the department called for the search to be started over.

City Councilor Joel R. Kaddy was a member of the search committee that screened applicants for the job and is a former city police officer. He said Deputy Superintendent DeMoura is qualified for the post, but he cannot support the appointment considering the state of the department.

“I am so unhappy and disappointed,” Mr. Kaddy said. He said Lt. Bozicas is a known quantity with meaningful ties to the city.

“There was no reason not to hire (him),” Mr. Kaddy said. “I’m worried for many reasons about the appointment. I’m worried about the morale, what she just did to them by doing this. What we’re telling our young officers is if you spend your career here, when the time comes, you’re not good enough to be chief of police.”

Councilor Stephan Hay said he was disappointed Ms. Wong did not pick the in-house candidate, but said he respected her right to pick who she thought was the best fit for the job.

Councilor Annie K. DeMartino said it was the mayor’s appointment to make.

“I support her all the way,” Mrs. DeMartino said last night.

Councilor Jody M. Joseph, who chairs the Appointments Committee, was also on the search panel.

“We gave her four good candidates and she picked one,” he said. As for the department’s negative reaction, he said, “I don’t get to pick who my boss is.”

Ms. Wong defended her choice.

“I do things professionally. I expect that those who work for the city will do the same,” she said. “This is not personal. This is a professional arena we work in. I look for people who can get the job done. I hope we would all work toward the best interest of the city, first and foremost. This is my final decision. It is the responsibility of the mayor to manage and that is what my focus is going to be on.”

Lt. Bozicas said he was confident the members of the Police Department will be professional about the change in leadership.

“They will serve the citizens of Fitchburg professionally, day in and day out,” Lt. Bozicas said.

http://www.telegram.com/article/2008...803190353/1116

Posted by: LawMan3

That's too damn bad, Lt. Bozicas deserved the job. Mayor Wong can go pound sand. If one spends an honest career in the dept such as Lt. Bozicas, then it should almost be a given that he should've gotten the chief's position. I don't quite understand her logic. And not meeting with Lt. Bozicas face-to-face is quite unprofessional, and damn cowardly if you ask me. Bogus decision on her part.

Posted by: MM1799

+1 LawMan

I know it was a topic of conversation with the Quincy PD (i dont know where the issue stands now) and I hope they watch this situation closely. Bringing in outsiders often bring a lot more hostility and shit with them then hiring from within.

Posted by: JMB1977

Terrible choice! Bozicas was the best for the position. Why do they continuously go outside for thier Chiefs...doesn't make any sense!

Posted by: j809

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMB1977

Terrible choice! Bozicas was the best for the position. Why do they continuously go outside for thier Chiefs...doesn't make any sense!

Maybe because you want to hire the best candidate for the job. This deputy chief is a top notch guy, i think they wanted some change over there instead of the same old crew. Bosicas is a great guy and I am sure he will do very well ,might be captain soon and can always be a Cheif somewhere else. I mean $88K for Chief of Fitchburg is crap, i think he makes more as an LT.

Posted by: Inspector

Knowing Bobby DeMaura for a long time I don't think he'll hurt people who do their jobs. He started as a cop at Hampton, NH and them moved onto his home turf, Lowell. He moved up in rank there under the leadership of Ed Davis, whom I've also known a very long time. I tend to think he, like Davis, will run a tough but efficient ship and he, like Davis, will handle any garbage thrown his way from any direction. Politicians will continue to go outside when looking for leadership for many reasons, one of which maybe to keep troops from unifying and becoming a threat to their power. In my career I've worked under insiders and outsiders and have found pluses and minuses in both. Sometimes the insiders change drastically when given power. The outsider is looking for support.

Posted by: O-302

Quote:

Originally Posted by LawMan3

That's too damn bad, Lt. Bozicas deserved the job. Mayor Wong can go pound sand. If one spends an honest career in the dept such as Lt. Bozicas, then it should almost be a given that he should've gotten the chief's position. I don't quite understand her logic. And not meeting with Lt. Bozicas face-to-face is quite unprofessional, and damn cowardly if you ask me. Bogus decision on her part.

I don't think that spending an honest career in a department necessarily qualifies you to be a Chief. He's been there 20 something years and the place is in turmoil...he's a Lieutenant right? What's he done personally to change things? I do agree that it's not appropriate for the Mayor to have never met face to face with him.....

Posted by: Nighttrain

Personally I think Bozicas is one of the brightest cops in MA law enforcement. I recall in the academy that he was man enough to say he was sort of a house mouse and that he trusted/empowered his sergeants to take care of the street...when they needed him he'd be there but he wouldn't interfere otherwise. How many bosses run things that why anymore? Trust the troops?

I wouldn't blame him if he put his poker into a few other fires. Any department would be lucky to have him.

Posted by: kwflatbed

Bozicas 'very disappointed' in process

By Brandon Butler
Article Launched: 03/21/2008 10:00:53 AM EDT

FITCHBURG -- Lt. Paul Bozicas, a former finalist for the police chief's position, said he is disappointed in the way Mayor Lisa Wong handled the process.
Bozicas said he heard rumors on Monday that Wong had offered the job to Lowell Acting Deputy Superintendent Robert DeMoura and called Wong twice. He said Wong did not return the calls.
Also, he said he went six weeks without hearing from Wong after a public forum last month, and said he never was invited for an in-person sit-down interview.
"I was very disappointed," Bozicas said. "Open and honest is the way to be and she wasn't open and honest."
Wong said she didn't return Bozicas's calls on Monday because her offer to DeMoura to be the next chief had not yet been accepted. Wong publicly announced Tuesday in the early afternoon that she offered the position to DeMoura.
"My intention was to inform all other candidates as soon as I received a response to my initial offer," Wong said.
Wong said she wanted to wait until she heard from DeMoura because if he had declined the position then Bozicas would still have been a finalist.
DeMoura still must be confirmed by the City Council before he becomes chief.
Wong said she offered the appointment to DeMoura late last week and DeMoura accepted on Tuesday morning. After she received the confirmation, Wong said Bozicas was the first person she called. Bozicas said it would have been a "common courtesy" to call him back after he placed two calls to her office and left his cell phone number for her.

"It's common courtesy and respect," Bozicas said. "I've worked here for 25 years and every person I deal with I give them respect. If I'm dealing with a citizen on the street or a person in the booking room, I give them respect. I expect the same courtesy to be afforded to me."
Wong said she was out of town and then had a School Committee meeting to oversee on Monday.
Bozicas also said he was disappointed he never received a one-on-one in-person interview with Wong.
"What disappoints me the most is that this is one of the most important decisions in this city and I was never given a one-on-one in-person interview," Bozicas said.
Bozicas said he spoke with the mayor on the phone for about 20 minutes, but did not hear back from her after the candidates forum at Fitchburg State College last month.
Wong said there was no need for another interview.
"I had about two hours of interaction with the candidates, coupled with the background checks, and the recommendations from the search committee," Wong said. "That was sufficient information for me."
Wong also said it is the mayor's sole authority to choose the chief.
"The process and the selection is ultimately up to me," Wong said.
Bozicas said he has no hard feelings against DeMoura, a 24-year veteran of the Lowell Police Department.
"I told Deputy DeMoura that if he got the job that I would wish him well, and I do," Bozicas said. "I have no animosity toward him at all."
Bozicas said he does not believe there will be any problems between Wong and the Police Union. Union resident Ronald L'Ecuyer said this week he was insulted by Wong's decision not to pick Bozicas, the union-endorsed candidate.
"Are they happy? No, but Fitchburg police officers are professionals, they work hard under some of the toughest conditions anywhere and they're going to continue to work hard because that's what they do everyday," Bozicas said.
Bozicas also thanked the community and his fellow officers for their "overwhelming" support throughout the process. "I'm grateful for that," he said.

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_8650535

Posted by: 94c

Outsiders never last.

They stand in the way of hard working men and women who have dedicated their entire careers to an organization.

Only to be tossed aside.

There will always be people in that department waiting for his failure so they can get their just opportunity.

Posted by: mpd61

What makes me laugh is how Wong stated the last two finalists would be looked at in the arena of "background checks". Flag right there kids! Like they did't know Bozicas by then? I thinks it safe to say that the facts point to an outsider from the start;
Committee vote without the one police rep, popular in-house candidate referred, He's include as semifinalist after being publicly endorsed by rank and file...But wait! In the end it's the other guys "Urban" management skills that win him the job. WTF! So fitchburg is an R.F.D.?
Garbage! The Deputy deserves the job too, but at least come up with a better reason!

Posted by: 94c

For all you civil service critics out there....

There's a reason that more and more cities/towns are removing the Chiefs from civil service.

Political control.

Civil Service is not a perfect system. But it's the best we have when it comes to political games.

There can be no doubt that the Lowell guy got the job through some form of inside maneuvering.

In the long run this completely affects the entire department.

If Lt. Bozicas is the type of guy depicted here, then that department will suffer for not picking him. He seems like a fair and even minded type of guy.

The kiss asses will be jockeying for position under the new Chief and further undermining the department.

This opinion and $1.86 will get you a cup of coffee in most places.

Posted by: PaulKersey

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94c

This opinion and $1.86 will get you a cup of coffee in most places.

When you first started, didn't you used to say, "That and .25 cents will get you a cup of coffee?"

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94c

For all you civil service critics out there....

There's a reason that more and more cities/towns are removing the Chiefs from civil service.

Political control.

Civil Service is not a perfect system. But it's the best we have when it comes to political games.

There are always political games, civil service or not.

The current CS system seems to generally reward police managers (notice I didn't say supervisors) who insulate themselves from any unpleasant aspect of the department, hide from police work & self-responsibility, and study for the next promotion exam either on the department clock or while out with the old proverbial "back injury" from slipping on phantom ice or falling down the stairs (neither of which ever seem to happen in front of witnesses).

Good candidates for police chief can be found both inside and outside civil service. It's up the the appointing authority to find him/her, but deliberately choosing the person the patrolmen's union publicly stated they did not want automatically puts that person into a hole from which it will be difficult to climb out.

Posted by: 94c

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta784

In a perfect world, yes. When dealing with humans and their own self interests, no.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulKersey

When you first started, didn't you used to say, "That and .25 cents will get you a cup of coffee?"

Are you calling me old?

Posted by: LawMan3

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94c

If Lt. Bozicas is the type of guy depicted here, then that department will suffer for not picking him. He seems like a fair and even minded type of guy.

+1 94c

Bozicas is indeed a top notch guy, and a superb instructor in the academy. One of these days he will prevail as chief (and deservingly so).

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94c

In a perfect world, yes. When dealing with humans and their own self interests, no.

To which part of my rant are you referring?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94c

Are you calling me old?

Not I; that would be the pot/kettle/black thing.

Posted by: spaceshuttle1

I have Know Bob Demoura for many years and worked with him. He is an outstanding guy. He will do right by the men and women in Fitchburg.

Posted by: kwflatbed

LOWELL -- Lowell Deputy Superintendent Robert DeMoura, Fitchburg's next police chief, wants people to look at him as a reformist.
"I want to get people involved," said DeMoura, a 24-year veteran of the Lowell Police Department. "Being stagnant is OK if that's what you want to do, but in policing you can't be because it's unfair to the community."
DeMoura said he hopes to change the mentality of Fitchburg's police force.
"If you just wait for a phone call of what you should do, you should be a taxi driver," DeMoura said during an interview in his office in Lowell Friday morning. "You need to have an idea of what you want to do to reduce crime, and reduce the perception of crime."
DeMoura said he thinks Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong appointed him because of what he represents.
"The mayor got elected because she was constantly talking about change and at the same time there was an open chief's job," he said. "If an inside person came in, I think it would be the same."
DeMoura was one of two finalists for the job, the other was Fitchburg Lt. Paul Bozicas, a 25-year veteran of the force.
"All I can say is that with me, she knows she can bring change," he said. "It's about accountability, that will change the culture in the police department to a more preventative mode."
DeMoura said if the entire department embraces that change, then the city will not have to go outside the department to select its next chief. "The next leaders of this organization should come from the inside, and they will if they believe in change," he said. "If I can bring that mentality to the other leaders in the organization, we will never have to look outside again."

DeMoura spoke confidently and in a self-assuring tone during the interview.
He said he has plans for what he wants to do in Fitchburg to target drugs, traffic and gang problems, but wants to discuss those with Wong and members of the Fitchburg Police Department before he unveils them.
He said he is excited about meeting more people in the city before he officially takes over as chief. DeMoura must be approved by the City Council before his officially takes over in about a month.
His office looks out over the plaza in front of the Lowell Police headquarters, and is filled with photos of him and his family, along with small golfing souvenirs, one of his hobbies.
DeMoura said he's not worried about the reception officers will give him when he starts.
Fear of the unknown?
Ronald L'Ecuyer, the head of Fitchburg's police union, said he was insulted by Wong's decision not to appoint Bozicas.
"I think it's going to be great, it's the fear of the unknown," DeMoura said. "Fear of change fears everybody. I think when they get to know me and understand my philosophies and understand my ambitions, it may not be for everybody and some may say this isn't for me, well then go somewhere else. It's just a job."
DeMoura said he's asking officers to be professional.
"I treat this as my profession and I want them to do that, and if they do that then we'll get along well," he said.
DeMoura said he will work to get dispatchers back after layoffs last year forced nine officers to handle their duties instead.
He said he will work to forge federal, state and local funds to get police equipment.
"To make sure they have the tools they need to their jobs everyday," he said.
DeMoura -- who will be before the City Council's Appointments Committee April 1 for approval-- said the first thing he's going to do if he becomes chief is talk to his staff.
"We have to know what we want," DeMoura said.
Part of that he said, would be to meet with the command staff and the officers and share ideas.
"When the day is done, we're not going to be too far off on those plans," DeMoura said.
Added visibility
DeMoura said his philosophy about policing comes down to visibility, and not just adding more cops on the streets.
"I want to make sure we're at the right place at the right time," he said.
That, he said, is done through crime-analysis programs, some of which the city already has.
"You look at the calls, how do we reduce those calls from happening," he said. "So what we're doing is actually preventing calls from happening. And you do that by talking to the community."
DeMoura said while he was captain of the Lowell West Sector, he helped reduce crime, sometimes simply by having an officer stand at a post during high-visibility, high-traffic times.
"I've heard the concerns of the community, and not being able to see police in strategic places at strategic times, that causes a perception or the fear of crime," he said.
DeMoura said public safety is the linchpin to economic development and he said he looks forward to working with Wong in whatever capacity she needs to make the city safer.
But DeMoura hasn't always known he wanted to be cop, much less a police chief.
DeMoura attended Southern New Hampshire University for his bachelor's degree and Anna Maria College for his masters degree in criminal justice.
He worked as an adjunct professor at University of Massachusetts Lowell for six years until 2002 and coached youth wrestling in his hometown of Chelmsford.
One of his first jobs was working as a retail store security guard. There, he said, he began to understand the police process.
"Maybe if I wasn't a security guard, I wouldn't be where I am today," he said.
He wanted to become a cop, but first went into corrections and worked at MCI Walpole and Concord from 1977 to 1980.
He worked as a Hampton, N.H., police officer and went to the Lowell Police Department in 1985. There he worked as a patrol officer, major crime unit investigator, vice-bureau investigator, lieutenant, captain and became deputy superintendent in 2007.
DeMoura's father delivered furniture for Household Furniture for 30 years and his mother worked at Dunkin' Donuts.
"If I remember my mother ever asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up, it was never a police chief," DeMoura said.
Taking care of bad stuff
DeMoura said the hardest thing about being a cop is that it's a negative job.
"You're asking cops to take care of bad stuff all day long," he said.
He said domestic issues can be "the start of the end" for a family.
"Then cops go home with that every night," he said.
Added to that, he said, is the responsibility of officers to carry a firearm.
That's why he will fight to keep morale high by lobbying against layoffs within the department.
He said his hardest moment as a cop has been having to tell someone a family member died.
Another has been wishing he could have done something more for a fellow officer.
"Chasing cars, pulling guns, I've done that thousands of times," he said. "I've been in thousands of fights, I've arrested thousands of people and put tons of people in jail. Those are not as near to your heart as when you look at someone and say I could have done something better."
He said Fitchburg is very similar to Lowell, where he has spent the majority of his career, and he hopes to bring ideas to Fitchburg from his current job.
DeMoura said working collaboratively with other agencies will be integral in Fitchburg, especially given the city's difficult financial times.
"It's a force multiplier," DeMoura said.
In Lowell, DeMoura worked with a program that brought correctional officers from the Middlesex Sheriff's department to walk around the city with police.
He said the correctional officers know some of the gang members and people who have been locked up.
"And it shows that we're concerned enough about the problems that we're bringing in outside agencies," he said.
He said Fitchburg State College, located just north of the city's downtown, provides potential for the city's police department.
"If we think we can do this alone then you got the wrong guy," DeMoura said. "I wouldn't be going there if I was doing this alone."
DeMoura said he's already met with James Hamel, FSC's Police Chief, who sat on the Police Chief Search Committee.
DeMoura said he wants to start an internship program between FPD and the college's criminal justice program.
"I want to see some real serious internships so that people can say, 'With this internship, it makes me sellable in the law-enforcement community. I can get a job somewhere because I know about policing,'" DeMoura said.
Right for the job
Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis worked with DeMoura in Lowell for 20 years and said he's "exactly right for the job."
Davis, the former superintendent of the Lowell Police Department, described DeMoura as a "tireless worker and a great street cop."
He said Fitchburg will benefit from his experience.
"He will bring real world experience of putting together drug prosecutions, and on top of that he brings an understanding that a link to the community is important," Davis said.
Davis said DeMoura was integral in Lowell's implementation of a community-policing program, which Davis said was the cornerstone of his work in the city. "You need to establish a link with the community, understand the needs from the ground up," Davis said when asked what advice he would give to DeMoura. "I've seen him grow, and he's ready."

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_8670064

Police Union offers its view on mayor's choice for police chief

On behalf of the men and women of the Fitchburg Police Union, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few points of interest regarding the mayor's recent decision to hire Robert DeMoura as our next Police Chief. We acknowledge the mayor's authority to choose whomever she wishes to become police chief. This authority actually originated with the actions and wishes of our membership.
Several years ago, we pushed to have our police chief position removed from the protections of Civil Service to create a position of accountability. Our goal was to create a chief that was accountable to the mayor and the community. It was never our intention to have the ability to choose our own boss. At the time of this change, we never imagined that the politicians would go outside our Police Department to find a candidate. This was unimaginable since we have such a vast pool of qualified candidates.
It has been suggested that our department is stagnant and resistive to change. We would beg to differ. We have embraced the community policing philosophy since its inception. We have embarked on many facets of community policing over the years, each originating by the efforts of both the administration, as well as our members. The passion behind these efforts has never subsided. Suggesting that there may be something wrong at the department due to the last chief quitting prior to the completion of his last contract is pure speculation. Our membership has shown its ability to work well with many administrators with different personalities and philosophies. A prime example of this was our two and a half years under the leadership of chief Tasca. During that time period, despite usual labor/management issues, moral and productivity was on the rise.

If his appointment is supported by the City Council, Mr. DeMoura will take over as our police chief in a few weeks. We would like to ensure the citizens of Fitchburg that we will continue our efforts to create a safe environment for this city to grow. We will maintain the same, self-imposed, ethical and professional standards that we have lived up to for decades. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for considering another point of view.

Fitchburg Police Union

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com...ce=most_viewed

Posted by: resqjyw0

By Matthew Bruun TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Mr. DeMoura

FITCHBURG— The mayor’s pick to become the next chief of police will go before the City Council on Tuesday.

Robert A. DeMoura, deputy superintendent of the Lowell Police Department, is scheduled to be interviewed by the council’s Appointments Committee that day. The committee meeting, which includes several other appointees, starts at 6:15 p.m. in council chambers.

Mayor Lisa A. Wong said Mr. DeMoura and the city have agreed on terms for a three-year contract, including a base salary of $88,000 that will be augmented by the Quinn Bill, which triggers salary increases tied to education. With Mr. DeMoura’s degrees, he will earn $121,000 a year, according to the mayor.

Ms. Wong said it’s hoped that Mr. DeMoura will move to Fitchburg to assume his post, but there is no contractual obligation to do so.

“We’re going to work with him,” she said yesterday after her weekly news conference. “It’s something that’s going to be very difficult in this housing market. We’re not giving him any time frame to do that.”

Ms. Wong’s pick rattled the police department, where members had publicly backed Lt. Paul Bozicas for the post. The Fitchburg Police Union has worked without a pay raise for almost two years and morale is poor, members have said, while there are also concerns about the state of the department’s equipment.

Ms. Wong said she would work with Mr. DeMoura on a schedule of meetings with different organizations and community groups to acclimate him to Fitchburg.

Assuming the council approves the appointment next week, she said, he is expected to take over the department in mid-April.

The mayor also spoke about the state of the city budget, thanking representatives from Rollstone Bank & Trust, Workers Credit Union and Fitchburg State College for coming forward to offer their expertise.

Representatives of those entities will work with city officials on a financial management team that is looking to close the city’s budget deficit. Separate committees of public-private partnerships are looking at the city’s human resources and insurance issues.

http://www.telegram.com/article/2008...003/NEWSREWIND

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