Voters May Decide Who Appoints Norwood Police Chief and Powers Under Town Charter-October 22, 1980

Heated Debate Among Selectmen Over Town Manager vs. Selectmen Appointment Powers

With Police Chief James F. Curran, 58, considering retirement for health reasons, the Norwood Board of Selectmen became locked in a heated debate last night over who should appoint his successor and how much administrative authority the next chief should wield. The brewing conflict sets up a showdown for town meeting to decide whether Norwood should maintain a manager-supervised police department or transition to a “strong police chief” governance model.

Under the existing town charter, Town Manager John J. Carroll serves as the administrative head of the police department and holds appointment power, conflicting with an older 1908 bylaw designating the selectmen as the appointing authority. The issue came to a head as selectmen maneuvered toward upcoming town meetings:

• Special Town Meeting (Nov. 17): Selectman John F. Kinnaly scheduled a special board meeting for Friday morning to seek permission to bring charter revision articles before the November 17 special town meeting, aiming to remove police authority from the town manager.
• Annual Town Meeting: Kinnaly also announced plans to independently sponsor an article at the spring annual town meeting adopting Chapter 41, Section 97A of the General Laws—the “strong police chief” law. This statute would vest hiring and firing powers in the selectmen while shielding the department from day-to-day political interference.

Clashing Views Among Board Members

Kinnaly argued passionately for the change, stating, “Under no circumstances should the police department be in the hands of anyone but a law enforcement officer,” and contended that equipment, training, and morale had suffered under the manager-chief structure. Kinnaly acknowledged that former FBI agent and neighbor Richard W. Krant would make an exemplary candidate, though he would consider others.

Selectman Mary J. Fox backed Kinnaly’s push, favoring appointment by a five-member board over a single individual and praising the public interview process conducted by selectmen. “What I hear is that we now have a strong town manager, leaving me with the impression we did not have one for all those years,” she noted.

Conversely, Selectman Walter J. Dempsey strongly defended Town Manager Carroll, calling him “invaluable” to the town and expressing full confidence in Carroll’s ability to make the appointment. Accusing Kinnaly of playing politics to push a preferred candidate, Dempsey warned, “The bottom line is that you have a man in the wings. It is entrenched in politics.”

An irate Kinnaly fired back at Dempsey: “You, as a selectman for years, have fouled up the police department so that it is taking new blood to straighten it out.” Ultimately, despite the sharp divisions, the board agreed to let town meeting decide the future structure and appointment process for the police department.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger