Chief Sheehan To Remain With Tewksbury Police Through End Of Year

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury Police Chief Tim Sheehan will remain with the department until the beginning of 2020, he said in a statement to his department. The town of South Portland, Maine announced they had hired Sheehan Friday. The chief has been with the Tewksbury Police Department for over three decades, including ten years as chief.

"I expect to be here until just after the first of the new year and I intend on thanking each and every one of you personally for your hard work and dedication to this profession I love and to the community," Sheehan wrote in a statement to the department. "We have a plan going forward that will allow all of you to continue to receive the support necessary to provide what I believe has been the best police service available."

Sheehan was picked by South Portland from a pool of 14 candidates. The South Portland release announcing his hire praised Sheehan's record, including "providing tactical support to the Boston Police Department in the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing" and serving as the "incident commander for the four-day statewide law enforcement mutual aid response to the 2018 Columbia Gas explosions and fires."

"Over the last ten years we have significantly decreased crime and developed nationally recognized community policing programs to benefit our community," Sheehan wrote. "There have been many innovative community policing programs that have been implemented and specialty units put in place to engage with all the populations we serve, especially the vulnerable."

Tewksbury Deputy Chief John Voto released the following statement: "For the last ten years, Chief Timothy Sheehan has been the stoic leader of the Tewksbury Police Department. It is with a bittersweet mix of pride and sadness that we learn his 32 years of service with us is coming to a close. Chief Sheehan has accepted a new position as Chief of South Portland Maine's Police Department. As we prepare to say goodbye, we hold firm in the knowledge that we are far better for having his leadership and guidance this past decade. South Portland Maine gains a great man to lead their department and we will continue to strive for the excellence that Chief Sheehan has come to know and expect of us."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.