William Baker is the New Foxborough Police Chief

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Seventy-six candidates from 21 states and two countries later, Foxborough has their new police chief.

Tuesday night, the board confirmed Town Manager Bill Keegan’s decision to pick William Baker as the new head of the Foxborough Police Department, pending contract negotiations. He is scheduled to start on Monday, Oct. 3, with Ed O’Leary’s final day as Foxborough’s top cop to be Friday, Sept. 30.

Baker, a Maine resident who is ready to move to Foxborough, started his police career in 1974 in Cumberland, Maine and served as the police chief of Southboro from 1981-1986 and Sutton from 1990-1992. He also worked as the chief of the Laconia, N.H. police from 1999-200 and Seabrook, N.H. police department in 2004. His last police chief position was in Westbrook, Maine from 2007-2011.

In addition to his municipal experience, Baker was the director of police training, commissioner, and assistant secretary of public safety during the Weld Administration. Following a two-year stint as an attorney in Worcester, he joined the Department of Justice as the acting program manager for Haiti.

Most recently, he spent the last four years as the assistant city manager of Westbrook and as a consultant for BerryDunn.

“(Baker) had the edge because of all these different types of experience. One of the things that was most important was that he carries on an important tradition in that he is a community-oriented guy,” Keegan said.

Earlier this week, Baker said he signed a lease for a home in Foxborough. He said he plans on being a visible member of the community.

Baker beat out three other finalists for the position. No members of the Foxborough Police Department applied for the job, which Keegan attributed to a timing issue involving some recent promotions.

On the big event front, Baker said he was responsible for the public safety component of Laconia Bike Week, which brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area. Keegan said afterwards that many of the candidates with large event experience were removed from consideration early on.

Baker will make a salary between $165,000-$175,000. An extra $40,000-$50,000 is possible through details for Gillette Stadium events.

A formal swearing-in ceremony will be held at a later date.

Photo: Incoming Police Chief William Baker with outgoing Police Chief Ed O'Leary. Credit: Dan Libon