Chelsea Chief Bryan Kyes has spearheaded an initiative bringing together police leadership and municipal officials from six neighboring communities to strengthen their collective law enforcement capabilities. The police chiefs of Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Malden, Saugus and Winthrop, along with their respective city and town managers and mayors, have collaborated over the past year to develop coordinated strategies addressing crime that crosses jurisdictional lines. These 6 law enforcement agencies collectively employ approximately 500 police officers and serve a population exceeding 250,000 residents. Through their discussions, this urban-based strategic working group determined that serious crimes and major offenders operate regionally rather than within single municipalities. The consensus among participants reflects a shared understanding that 75-90% of violent crimes in these communities share a common thread: drugs. “Where there are drugs there are usually guns which often lead to violent crime resulting in serious bodily injury including death. If we are going to have a significant impact in reducing this continuing violence, as well related property crime issues, it is imperative that we enhance our existing partnerships with neighboring local police departments and empower of our respective Police Officers to be able to effectively reduce drug and gang related crime,” said Chief Kyes. To combat regionalized criminal activity including drug trafficking and gang violence, the police chiefs and municipal leaders sought to equip their officers with enhanced collaborative mechanisms. “It’s terrific the way that our various municipal departments continue to work together with a singular purpose in mind: making our communities safer. We should and are encouraging more collaboration like this, am I’m pleased to continue to commit Chelsea to it” stated Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash. The six departments have therefore executed a Memorandum of Understanding, effective March 30th, establishing a strategic partnership to address public safety priorities including gang violence and sophisticated drug distribution networks through a regionalized task force approach. The agreement calls for approximately seventy (70) police officers—including detectives, gang unit members, narcotics and vice officers, and K-9 handlers—from each department to be cross-sworn as Special Police Officers with full arrest authority for all crimes, including misdemeanors, throughout each participating community. The parties recognize that permitting officers to exercise sworn police powers beyond their home municipality is necessary and appropriate to protect public safety. While the Commonwealth lacks specific statutory authorization for Special Police Officer appointments in its cities and towns, numerous statutes and judicial decisions have expressly and implicitly acknowledged and sanctioned such appointments.
Police Chief Kyes Leads Expanded Policing Effort
