John F Carmichael Jr will come to Newton after spending the last five years as Chief of the Walpole Police Department.
From the major’s newsletter …
Over the past six months, I have been grateful for the help of so many as we undertook a wide search, a thorough review and careful consideration to find a highly capable person committed to equity, excellence and responsiveness in policing. Input came from a wide range of residents, members of the Newton Police Department, representatives of the City Council, and Department Heads – including the Superintendent of the Newton Public Schools. I want to thank, in particular, our Police Selection Committee, our search firm, and its lead participant, Chief Brian Kyes of Chelsea, MA. My selection criteria were influenced by the important work of the Newton Police Reform Task Force, the internal Newton Police Department Review Committee and the important discussions throughout the country and the Commonwealth on the future of policing.
Chief Carmichael has a proven track record of moving the Walpole Police Department forward based on collaborative partnerships between the department and people across the community. He has consistently led with the philosophy of treating people with fairness, dignity and respect. He insists on decision making that is impartial and unbiased as well as transparent and open.
Chief Carmichael honors and welcomes inclusivity, including resident input in setting the agenda for the police department. As Chief in Walpole, a department which is not part of the civil service system, he intentionally increased the diversity of its members. His strategic plan for the Walpole Police Department purposefully embraces the philosophy of 21st Century policing and weaves together reform with building trust and police legitimacy with the community and a problem-solving approach that focuses on the root cause of incidents.
The Chief thinks broadly, brings a curious mind to best practices, and believes in continuously improving policing. For example, the Walpole Police Department has already trained nearly every officer in Crisis Intervention Training and has a well-established Community Crisis Intervention Team.
Sorry for the photo of the wrong guy. That’s now a photo of the real Chief Carmichael ;-)
Chief Carmichael has a history of strong opposition to not only recreational cannabis, but also medical marijuana. Complaints have been filed in the past regarding his apparently appearing at anti-cannabis events while dressed in his police uniform! Is this really the kind of person we want leading our police department? How will his anti-cannabis attitudes play out in Newton? This city has been unbelievably slow to take advantage of all the tax dollars that can be brought in through marijuana sales. It’s ludicrous that 5+ years after the state voted to legalize marijuana there’s only one facility that’s been allowed to open in Newton. Hopefully Chief Carmichael will keep his prohibitionist attitudes to himself and focus on issues that matter to Newton residents. It would be nice to know whether Mayor Fuller discussed this issue with Chief Carmichael before she chose to hire him.
Sounds like a Pothead to me!!!
Just curious why the 2 NPD applicants were never given the courtesy of a return phone call follow up after saying to the Mayor that they were interested in the Chiefs position before the hiring of Chief Carmichael… Take note Chief this is how our Mayor treats the employees here in Newton… To the 2 officers, good luck and have a long, healthy retirement, thank you for your service..