Lynn Police Chief Kevin F. Coppinger. (Courtesy photograph.)
Lynn Police Chief Kevin F. Coppinger, candidate for Essex County sheriff, appears on WHAV’s Open Mike Show with Tim Coco Monday night.
Coppinger, a Democrat, is one of 13 candidates vying to fill the seat to be vacated by retiring Sheriff Frank G. Cousins. He is pledging to “improve staff skills, training and accountability; expand detox treatment to confront opioid epidemic; improve re-entry programs and community follow-up; and take politics out of the sheriff’s department.”
He has spent the bulk of his career within the Lynn Police Department. Before becoming police chief in 2009, he served as a deputy chief. He rose through the ranks, beginning as a patrol officer in Lynn and Lynnfield.
His literature shows campaign endorsements from former Essex County District Attorney Kevin M. Burke and the Essex County Police Chiefs Association, Massachusetts Major City Chiefs and Massachusetts Chiefs of Police. He said he will not accept any political campaign contributions from existing employees of the sheriff’s department.
Coppinger received his master’s in criminal justice from Anna Maria College, Paxton, and his bachelor’s from Northeastern University, Boston. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
The Open Mike Show begins at 6:30 p.m. The program may be viewed in high definition at www.WHAV.tv and on WHAV’s Facebook page and standard definition at HC Media Channel 22 on Comcast in Haverhill. Audio may also be heard at www.WHAV.net, participating cable television stations across the Merrimack Valley, Apple TV’s Golden Oldies group and Tunein (available on Web, smartphone and television apps).
Tim Coco:
Employees of the Essex County Sheriff’s Department have a perk available to them that is simply outrageous and is being used to intentionally rip off taxpayers. Employees of the Sheriff’s Department have the ability to name one of their “children” as the beneficiary of their pension and healthcare benefits upon their death. They do not have to name a spouse as the beneficiary, as is the norm in most organizations. This means death benefits can be passed on to a child in their 20s. Based on how long that child then lives, taxpayers could be on the hook for paying pension and healthcare benefits for 60 or 70 years!!!! It’s an absolute scam !!!
Tim, if you could run this issue by the candidates for sheriff as they come on Open Mike it would be appreciated. Get them on record of how they view this rip off.