Hadley board settles police chain of command

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

HADLEY - Selectmen unanimously approved a motion Wednesday night establishing a clear chain of command at the local Police Department specifying that Town Administrator David G. Nixon will supervise the town's police chief.

The decision to officially label Nixon as the liaison between Selectboard members and Chief Dennis J. Hukowicz is consistent with a recommendation made by Stephen Unsworth, a retired Waltham police chief, during an evaluation of the department last year.

The town had contracted BadgeQuest, a consulting firm founded by Unsworth, to review the department's management structure, among other public safety functions. The review came in the wake of a probe into workplace harassment involving a supervising officer in 2008.

"A clear chain of command must be established and adhered to," Unsworth wrote in his report. "The police chief should be supervised by and report to the town administrator."

Shortly after the report was released, Hukowicz said he thought he should be free to discuss police matters with individual selectmen. Hukowicz reportedly told Unsworth that he reported to both Nixon and selectmen, a situation Unsworth called "a problem."

In early April, selectmen asked Hukowicz and Nixon to work on a draft policy establishing this chain of command. Under the approved chain of command presented Wednesday, patrol officers report to sergeants, who in turn report to the chief; the chief the reports to the town administrator, who will continue to take direction from selectmen.

Although the motion was passed without discussion Wednesday, Selectboard member Joyce A. Chunglo referred to conversation on the topic as "beating a dead horse" and said she would second the motion "one last time."

When approached for comment following the Selectboard's decision, Hukowicz said it was "old news" and declined to comment further.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.