When Haverhill’s two police chief interview panels meet, they’ll discover interest from candidates spread across nine states with educational degrees ranging from bachelor’s to doctorate.
According to Mayor James J. Fiorentini’s office, the city received resumes from 27 prospective police chiefs and preliminary interviews by telephone are underway with the top 10 candidates.
“We are dedicated to getting the best and most professional police chief, the person best suited for this city,” Fiorentini said in a statement, naming two interview panels—one comprised of those familiar with police hiring and one made up of community leaders.
Among those seeking the top local law enforcement job are 14 applicants from Massachusetts including an undisclosed number of Haverhill officers; three each from Connecticut and Texas; two from New York; and one each from Michigan, Washington, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Oregon. Of these candidates, two have doctorates, one has both a law and master’s degree, two have law degrees, 16 have master’s and five hold bachelor’s degrees.
Haverhill native and former Hampton, N.H., Police Chief William Wrenn is taking on the screening task for a second time in 20 years. He served on former Haverhill Mayor John J. Guerin’s committee that hired Police Chief Alan R. DeNaro 20 years ago. DeNaro was to retire this month, but stepped down in May for health reasons and has since filed for disability with the Haverhill Retirement Board.
Besides Wrenn, those with police hiring experience named to serve are Alan Gould, president of Municipal Resources, the city’s consultant; Haverhill Health and Inspectional Services Director Richard MacDonald who is also a former Duxbury town manager; and Haverhill City Solicitor William D. Cox Jr.
Gould is also a retired Rye, N.H., police chief and town manager, and interim Salem, N.H., police chief.
The panel of community members includes Kalister Green-Byrd, a former Haverhill Housing Authority commissioner and community volunteer; Lynda Brown, head of the Highlands Neighborhood Group and head of Haverhill Brightside, a community and neighborhood beautification group; Manuel Matias, representative of the Haverhill Latino Coalition; Irene Haley, president and CEO of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce; Eliza Espinal, a Haverhill resident and volunteer assistant in the Lawrence Deputy Police Chief’s office; and a representative from the School Department to be named.