Worcester Police Chief Gemme Announces Retirement

WORCESTER, MA — Gary Gemme announced on Tuesday his retirement as chief of the Worcester Police Department.

City Manager Edward Augustus, Jr., reported on the city's official website that he will be retiring effective May 13.

"Gary Gemme is a man of honor and integrity," wrote Augustus, "and one of the brightest minds I've encountered on the subject of law enforcement. His intelligence, integrity and leadership have served this city very well. Whether or not they are aware of it, every resident of Worcester has benefitted from Chief Gemme's service.

"Over the course of nearly 12 years as chief, Gary Gemme completely remade the way policing is done in the City of Worcester. Under Chief Gemme's leadership, the Worcester Police Department modernized its approach to technology, instilled a culture of accountability and reoriented the department's mission to put an emphasis on community policing that gets officers ingrained in the neighborhoods they serve, with the goal of preventing crime before it happens. The chief's willingness to try new things, such as the implementation of ShotSpotter technology and the construction of the Real Time Crime Center, has helped make Worcester a safer place. His push to recruit more officers of color has created a more diverse police force. And his insistence on the highest standards made the Worcester Police Department a model for other communities."

Chief Gemme will retire as the City's longest-serving police chief since World War II.

City observers speculate that Deputy Chief Steve Sargeant is an obvious shoo-in for the position, but Augustus said he plans to officially announce the appointment of a new chief on Thursday afternoon.