Medford Police Chief Jack Buckley, a 28-year veteran of the department, is set to retire, effective Dec. 19. Buckley, who has served as chief since 2018, cited an autoimmune disease that placed him on medical leave for five months last year as the reason for his departure.
In an interview with the Daily, Buckley looked back with pride on his long tenure in the department.
“I’m almost three decades [into] being a police officer, and I don’t regret a moment of it. I’m proud of everything I did, and that’s at all levels — from when I first became a police officer, from the times I worked in the streets to the times I was a detective,” Buckley said. “This city gave me the opportunity to be chief of police, and I’m grateful for that opportunity. I think I’ve done the best I can do with this position.”
City officials reflected on Buckley’s tenure, calling him a “professional” and “savvy” leader, despite some disagreements over whether to speak out on certain political issues.
“Medford is losing somebody really valuable to our community,” Emily Lazzaro, city council vice president, said. “I think we’ll struggle to find somebody that equals him.”
“The ways that we will disagree on things have more to do with taking political risks,” she added. “There were moments where I have hoped that he would come out in favor of or opposed to certain things that I know he does believe.”
Describing his thought process as police chief, Buckley cited a need for equality and political neutrality in managing a police department.
“We have to police people, no matter who they are [or] what they believe, and we police them hopefully the same in all instances,” Buckley said. “We stay out of politics. People don’t necessarily always believe that, but it’s true.”
The search for Buckley’s replacement chief of police is currently underway. A bill signed by Governor Maura Healey in August will make the city’s search for a new chief significantly easier.
The bill, proposed in the state legislature with support of Medford officials, removed the city’s chief of police from civil service regulations, allowing the city to broaden its search. Under standard Massachusetts law, a permanent appointment must come from an eligible list created through the civil service process.
“It was a very straightforward and simple process, taking the position out of civil service out of necessity and wanting to make sure we had the best candidate possible,” Lazzaro said. “Everybody was in agreement about doing that.”
Buckley expressed his support for the decision, explaining that the department lacks enough candidates qualified for the role.
“We have really good police officers here. What we don’t have is a lot of experience when it comes to a lot of upper-level [positions], or what we would refer to as ‘command’ leadership,” he said.
He acknowledged concerns about the new chief coming from outside the department but argued the role demands executive experience.
“What they’re failing to recognize is that we have such a young department,” he said. “We want to get someone who can handle all of the intricacies that come with the chief of police, but we also hope that the next chief of police develops one of our younger officers into the [following] chief of police.”
Medford’s exemption was negotiated as part of a six-year contract with the city’s two police unions, which, according to Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, received an additional percentage point in cost-of-living raises in connection with moving the chief and deputy chief positions out of civil service.
“The chief’s role is one of the toughest roles in a city or town,” Lungo-Koehn said. “[We’re looking for] somebody that can work well with the department while holding the department accountable [and] implementing the new rules and regulations that Chief Buckley and the team have put in place.”
Applications for the position will close on Sept. 28, with the applicants screened by an external agency — a seven to 11-person interview panel with one city council member — and an assessment center for finalists. Lungo-Koehn will make the final decision.
When asked about his future, Buckley said he had no regrets.
“As far as my career, I’ll be in my rocking chair one day with a smile on my face for what I did,” he said. “I’m happy.”
