Shumeane Benford began his role as Somerville’s new police chief on Sept. 16. Somerville City Mayor Katjana Ballantyne announced her selection of Benford as the next police chief on Aug. 15, ending a four year-long search following former chief David Fallon’s retirement in 2020. Charles Femino has served as the city’s interim police chief throughout the city’s search for a replacement.
The search appeared to be nearing an end in November 2023, when three finalists were brought before the mayor for approval. Instead, Ballantyne opted to restart the search, extending it by almost a year. In an email to the Daily, a city spokesperson shared Ballantyne’s rationale behind the decision.
“Restarting the search process was a challenging decision, but it was ultimately the right one,” the spokesperson wrote. “It was essential to ensure that we found a leader who truly embodies the values and priorities of our community.”
The spokesperson also shared Ballantyne’s thoughts on Benford’s qualifications.
“Incoming Chief Benford was selected because of his proven track record as a transformative leader who is deeply committed to the values of equity, transparency, and community engagement,” the spokesperson wrote.
Benford has 30 years of law enforcement experience, having just served as both Boston Housing Authority Police Chief and Boston Chief of Emergency Management.
“The incoming Chief has a unique combination of law enforcement, emergency management, and teaching experience, plus a demonstrated ability to drive both operational and community-focused reforms,” the city spokesperson wrote. “The City was also impressed by his success in leading initiatives prioritizing transparency, social equity, and staff morale, all of which are crucial to our vision for public safety in Somerville.”
The search for the new police chief was aided by the Police Chief Search Committee, a group of Somerville constituents, elected officials, members of the police department and experts on the matter.
Somerville City Councilor-at-Large Jake Wilson, a member of the committee, shared excitement that Benford’s policies reflect many of the desires he hears from his constituents.
“He certainly expressed support for a lot of the things that I hear about a lot from the community that they want to see from our police department. Things I support — like unarmed civilian response,” Wilson said.
Myles Herbert, a Somerville resident and member of Somerville’s Civilian Oversight Task Force, was critical of the co-response model, one type of unarmed civilian response that pairs police with mental health professionals to respond to emergency calls.
“It’s less of an alternative to policing and more of just adding a social worker to a situation that they aren’t going to have any power or jurisdiction [in],” Herbert said.
Ballantyne shared her excitement about Benford’s incoming policies.
“Incoming Chief Benford brings a wealth of experience in implementing innovative policies that focus on community engagement, transparency, and equitable policing. His experience in advancing interdisciplinary approaches to public safety and emergency management will also be valuable as we work to integrate community health, safety, and social services into our public safety framework,” the city spokesperson wrote.
Wilson mentioned how Benford might approach unresolved issues within the police department, such as department morale.
“[He] talked about professional development within the department, which is very important for morale,” Wilson said. “We currently have a morale crisis in the Somerville Police Department, and that’s one way we can help address it. By making sure that folks working in the department feel like there’s a route forward for them professionally.”
Herbert also spoke about staffing concerns within the department which have been previously analyzed via multiple studies — including one ordered by the mayor — which recommended cutting the department’s staff. Herbert expressed doubts about how Benford might solve this issue.
“I’m assuming that he is going to be, as any manager would, pushing for more resources, despite the staffing study that says the Somerville police department is inefficiently using their headcount,” Herbert said.
Ballantyne stated that she does not currently anticipate any immediate increases to the department’s budget upon Benford’s arrival.
