Mayor: Hiring New Chief Should Depend on More Than Test Scores

Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt said he started doing his research last fall after learning of Police Chief Robert Champagne's plans to retire and began talking with other area mayors and town managers about the best way to find a new chief.

"My research has shown that the best process for the city is to take the [chiefs'] positions out of Civil Service," he said, adding that this decision is one of the most important ones of his tenure thus far.

With greater flexibility in the search process, that will lead to a broader pool of qualified candidates and ultimately the best person for the job, Bettencourt said.

He is asking the City Council to vote to remove both the police and fire chief positions from the jurisdiction of Civil Service. Councilors will likely place the matter in the Legal Affairs Committee for lengthy discussion later this month before any votes are taken.

Bettencourt said he will make his formal pitch to councilors then -- he has already reached out to several of them -- and notes the issue is a new one for councilors as it is for him. "We'll see what happens," he said.

Bettencourt, who comes from a family of police officers and public servants, said he knows the job is unique, difficult and demanding, but thinks the decision to hire the city's next chief should consider more than just a score on a lengthy exam.

"Sometimes the best candidate is not just the person with the best score, but sometimes it is," he said.

While exam scores are an important part of the selection process, there are state-run comprehensive assessment centers the city could utilize in selecting the top candidate under Civil Service guidelines.

Bettencourt acknowledged that was an option, but said he "wants as much flexibility as possible." Whether that person worked through the ranks in Peabody or comes to town from halfway across the state, he wants "the best person for the job."

He also said he's not looking to retain preferences for internal candidates in any new ordinance the city might create for either chief, but still wants to maintain an environment in which Peabody officers and firefighters know they could become chief some day.

Proponents of the Civil Service process often argue it protects against political appointments, but Bettencourt says that will not play any role in who he hires -- he just wants to make sure he can hire the best person out there for the job.

"If some mayor in the future ends up putting his friends in office, I think he would have to answer for that at the polls," Bettencourt said.

If the council does support the mayor's request, a home-rule petition will be sent to the legislature for approval and finally a signature from the governor. The change wouldn't affect either Champagne or Fire Chief Steven Pasdon, but their successors.

Just for the record, Bettencourt says he isn't aware of any plans by Pasdon to retire soon (he does have 32 years with the city). Bettencourt only hopes to utilize the new hiring process for Champagne's replacement in the months ahead.

The Salem News reports that Beverly has also removed both its chiefs from Civil Service, while Salem and Lynn have retained the system. In recent years, Danvers and Lynnfield utilized assessment centers to hire new fire and police chiefs.