


“If you’re not worrying about it, you’re not doing it right.” I can’t help but worry about our people, because I read every day what happens,” said Kearns. Incoming Police Chief Ernest Martineau was sworn in Thursday night and begins the job Monday. Kearns said it’s been an honor to be the chief, but he’s also relieved to step away from the added workload and responsibilities that come with being at the top. Phil Kearns, the interim police chief for the past 10 months, has moved out and is returning to the deputy chief position, where he plans to stay until retirement. “After reading the letter, I believe everything in the letter, but she doesn’t owe me the explanation, she owes him the explanation,” Kaddy said.FITCHBURG - On Friday most of the walls were bare in the chief’s corner office at the Fitchburg Police Station. Ward 3 Councilor Joel Kaddy said the mayor has the authority to choose whoever she wants to be Police Chief.īut Kaddy said Wong owes an explanation to Bozicas, who he said he trusts. “I knew she’d have an explanation, but to me she was deceptive on the whole process,” he said.īozicas said he had no plans for any further action but said he would hope City Councilors would have some questions for the mayor.Ĭouncil President Thomas Conry said he didn’t want to get involved in a “he said, she said.” Louney wrote a subsequent letter stating that he did not perform a background check on Bozicas.īozicas said Wong should have been upfront on the process from the beginning. It states that any records related to that Louney would have. In a letter to a state attorney, Wong’s Chief of Staff Kenneth Jones said the city’s background check of Bozicas was completed by Fitchburg Captain Mark Louney. When Bozicas didn’t receive information about a background check in response to the information request, Bozicas appealed to the state’s public records division. Specifically, he asked for the records of the background check that was conducted on him.īozicas said that during the search process Wong said she would be doing background checks on both candidates. “In the interest of saving the city money, I decided this was the best process,” Wong said.Īfter learning he had lost the job to DeMoura, Bozicas requested information about the process from Wong. Wong said as mayor she has the authority to conduct the search process however she sees fit. Wong said DeMoura was her top choice, so with a limited amount of money, she decided to conduct the extensive background check on him. She said a police chief head hunting firm, BadgeQuest, did a more extensive search that cost about $3,000 on current Police Chief Robert DeMoura.
Sentinel enterprise fitchburg police chief free#
She said the city conducted a preliminary, free background check on Bozicas.
Sentinel enterprise fitchburg police chief full#
Wong said there wasn’t enough money to do full background checks on both candidates. I expect more from my public officials.”īozicas alleges that no background check was done on him, even though Wong said throughout the process a background check would be done on both of the finalists. “I have no problem with who she picked, but in my opinion she wasn’t being honest. “I feel like I was lied to,” Bozicas said. Paul Bozicas, one of the finalists for the police chief job earlier this year, accused Mayor Lisa Wong of misleading him, the City Council and the public on the search process.
