Lawrence Police Department

Office of The Chief

Chief John J. Romero

Councilor Bernal, I am in receipt your email requesting my opinion as it relates to the proposal to eliminate the Deputy Police Chiefs position. Please be advised, my position has not changed since I last spoke with the City Council regarding the issue in 2010. It was then, and remains my opinion today, that the Deputy Police Chiefs position is no longer needed under the current management structure of the department. As I am sure you are aware, the Deputy Police Chiefs position was first introduced when the departments staffing levels consisted of 161 uniformed members. In July of 2010, due to a poor economy and severe cuts to local aid, the police department was forced to retract its staffing levels to just 110 uniformed members. With that retraction, the department underwent a restructuring that involved folding many of the specialized units and its existing supervisory staff back into the Patrol Division. I opined then, that this reduced supervisory span of control made it unnecessary to fund a Deputy Police Chiefs position. Since that time, and in large part through the efforts of Mayor Lantigua and the City Council, we have been able to gradually increase our staffing levels. It is in anticipated that by year end (2012) the Lawrence Police Department will consist of 120 uniformed members. During the last year, we have made great progress by utilizing specialized units to address the underlying issues that lead to crime, an approach that has proven successful in years past. With the additional staffing, I have been able to restore some of our more successful specialized units including the Street Narcotics Unit, Auto Theft Unit, and Community Policing. These specialized units, working in collaboration with other facets of the department, have proven to be enormously successful but they remain woefully understaffed. It is my opinion, that there is a need to add to current staffing levels for the purpose of either supplementing existing units or reintroducing some of the specialized units that were eliminated in July of 2010 (Gang Unit, Domestic Violence Unit, and Burglary Unit). Were that to occur, in such a way as to meet those needs, I would support the need for a Deputy Police Chief. I once heard it stated that Lawrence is a City of infinite needs but finite resources. To that end, I must prioritize the needs of my department. It is for the reasons stated above that I support the proposal to eliminate the position of Deputy Police Chief at this time. Sincerely, Chief John J. Romero 90 Lowell St. Lawrence, MA 01840 Tel: (978) 7945900 X640 Fax: (978) 794-5917