HAVERHILL, Mass. — Haverhill city councilors appointed a new acting police chief Tuesday night amid the ongoing turmoil within the police department in recent months.
“While the last 100 days have been especially challenging for our police officers, Wayne Tracy has been a leader, providing support, stability, compassion and calm,” said Mayor Melinda Barrett as she introduced the new acting police chief to city councilors Tuesday.
Wayne Tracy has been on the police force for 21 years and says he’s ready to lead a new chapter after the recent tragedies.
“If there’s something we need to correct, we’re gonna correct it internally, and I think it’s gonna be fairly easy because the people here are all united,” said Chief Tracy.
The mayor just launched an independent investigation into the police department last week.
The concerns began in July, after a man died while he was being detained by Haverhill officers.
Then, in September, one of those officers died unexpectedly, which sparked a shakeup in leadership.
“We’re going to find out what didn’t work for our police department, and we just want the best for our officers,” said Mayor Barrett. “The police haven’t missed a beat, they’re still out there patrolling, they show up every day for our constituents, our people, and you know we’re gonna be in a better place.”
Aside from the police department, many are also worried about Haverhill schools.
Hundreds of teachers rallied this week, pushing for better contracts after citing poor working conditions in classrooms and safety concerns for both students and teachers.
The mayor declined to respond to those concerns when Boston 25 News tried asking her about it Tuesday night.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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