Gloucester Police Chief on Leave Pending Internal Probe

GLOUCESTER, MA — Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello, who has gained global praise for leading a program that steers opiate addicts to treatment programs instead of jail, was placed on paid leave Tuesday pending an internal investigation.

Gloucester officials did not divulge the nature of the investigation. Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken released this statement Wednesday:

"Effective immediately, today September 13, 2016, I have notified Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello that he has been placed on paid administrative leave until further notice and upon completion of an internal investigation. We will have no further comments at this time."

Campanello told the Gloucester Times he's done nothing wrong.

"I am absolutely and completely unconcerned with this," he told the Times.

In 2015, Campanello founded PAARI — the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative or "Angel Program. It's comprised of police departments across the nation that pledge to steer opiate addicts to treatment programs instead of the criminal justice system. The effort gained national praise. CBS News profiled the program:

Photo: Gloucester Police Department