New Brookline Police Chief To Be Recommended To Select Board

BROOKLINE, MA — After about nine months of searching, the town administrator has selected someone to recommend to the Select Board to become the next Brookline Chief of Police, a position that has been without a permanent helmsperson since Chief Dan O'Leary retired in January.

The administrator is recommending Deputy Superintendent Andrew Lipson for the position.

"I decided to recommend Mr. Lipson for this position because of his educational and professional development accomplishments, the scope and success of his experience as a commander in the Department (most recently commanding the Patrol Division), his commitment to advance the Department in the concepts of 21st century policing and the strength of his character," said Town Administer Melvin Kleckner in a memo to the Select Board.

Some 41 police officials, including two women, applied to be the next Brookline Chief of Police, of those, seven were internal candidates, according to officials. All seven internal candidates went on with six more candidates to the interview round, which started in the beginning of July. The Select Board is scheduled to discuss the nomination Thursday, Sept. 13. Upon the board's approval, Lipson a popular choice among many officers in the department, will become the next Brookline Chief Of Police.

Kleckner, who's job it is to recommend a chief to the Select Board, then narrowed the field to four candidates: two were internal, two were external. Kleckner said he spent more than two hours with each candidate.

He said the choice was not an easy one and Kleckner and his Police Executive Research Forum strongly considered candidates from outside of Brookline as well as from within the town.

"I was very heartened by the performance of the group of ranking officers from the Brookline Police Department. Each internal candidate had outstanding credentials and performed very well in the process. They all exhibited a good understanding and commitment to the 21st century policing model and were extremely committed to the success of the Brookline community and its police department.

Kleckner originally said he hoped to fill the position by June. Later he said he hoped to find a finalist to recommend to the Select Board shortly after Labor Day.

Previously:

• Brookline Police Chief Dan O'Leary To Retire After 40 Years
• Brookline Searches For New Police Chief

Lipson was raised in Brookline and graduated front Trinity College in Hartford Ct. with a major in History. He has a Master’s in criminal justice from Western New England University and joined the Brookline Police in 1998 and worked in the Patrol Division. In January of 2003 he became a Detective and by the end of that year was promoted to Sergeant. During his time as Sergeant he worked the midnight shift, evening shift and in the Community Service Division. In 2008 he was promoted to Lieutenant and served as the Commanding Officer of the midnight shift. In 2009 he was assigned to the Detective division as the supervisor of the Night Detective Unit.

He was one of the founding members of the Departments Special Response Team and currently serves as commander.

Lipson has been awarded, the Joseph P. McMurray Medal of Valor, the Department Commendation Medal, Police Officer of the Year 2010, a Boston Marathon Service ribbon in 2013, the Brookline Chamber of Commerce Certificate of Appreciation for Service to the Community 2013, Greater Boston Police Council Award for Excellence in Policing 2011 and numerous certificates and letters of commendation. The Patrol Division includes 5 Lieutenants, 9 Sergeants and 71 Officers and the 16 civilian dispatchers working in the Public Safety Dispatch center. The men and women of the Patrol Division provide the first line of public safety service 24 hours a day. Many Officers in the Patrol Division also serve as members of special units including, the Patrol Bicycle Unit, the Warrant Unit, the Special Response Team, and Animal Control.

In January, the Kleckner sent a memo to the Select Board announcing that the search had begun to find the town a new chief of police, following the retirement of Chief Dan O'Leary. The process, he said at the time, would probably take about six months.

To help with the search, Kleckner retained a consultant familiar with "the challenges of a modern police department operating in a progressive and active community and who is familiar with the current issues and trends in policing," he wrote in the memo.

Kleckner thanked Superintendent Mark Morgan for his service as Acting Chief of Police, which he took on beginning January 16, moving up from his rank of second in command.

The new police department head will inherit a police department much like departments across the country that has been working to transition from authoritarian military style policing to more community based ("Warrior-style policing to Guardian-style Policing"), and one that has promised to make more of an effort to be inclusive and phase out an old-boy network mentality.

The salary range is $137,300 to $161,800, based on qualifications, according to the job description.

The chief will oversee some 136 sworn officers, 42 fulltime and 20 part-time non-sworn employees and a budget of $15 million. The Department operates with one chief, one superintendent, four deputy superintendents, 11 lieutenants, 16 sergeants, 103 police officers and 16 civilian dispatchers. Officers are selected and promoted through the rank of lieutenant through the Massachusetts Civil Service System.
The police chief reports directly to the town administrator who recommends a chief to the town's Select Board who has the final say.

The Board effectively acts as the Town's Police Commissioners with daily administrative supervision from the Town Administrator, though as chief executive officer of the department, the chief is the departmental authority in all matters of policy, operations, and discipline.

Previously:

Search For Next Brookline Police Chief Edges Forward

Brookline Police Chief Dan O'Leary To Retire After 40 Years

Brookline Searches For New Police Chief

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Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch. Contact this reporter at Jenna.Fisher@Patch.com or find her on Twitter: @ReporterJenna