REVERE — Residents are urged to fill out the city’s police services survey before it closes on Friday.
City officials plan to use the results to help them work toward investing in a “high-performing, modern and community-focused police force that works hand-in-hand with the community,” according to Mayor Brian Arrigo’s office.
An organizational analysis of the city’s police department is being conducted by Police Chiefs Frederick Ryan and Brian Kyes, of Ryan Strategies Group LLC, and relies on resident input through the survey.
“We are taking a holistic, in-depth look at the ever-changing world of law enforcement and we hope that this survey will shed invaluable light on the impact our police department has on the community every day,” Arrigo said in a statement.
Interim Revere Police Chief James Guido said in a statement, “our top priority is doing the best job we can on behalf of the residents we serve. Forging a strong bond with our community is a critical piece of that, and hearing the input of residents will ultimately help us better understand what we need to do as a department to meet that goal.”
“A community-based approach is the strongest and most effective tool that police departments can use to reduce crime and improve safety,” Ryan said in a statement. “I am looking forward to partnering with the Revere Police and looking at the successes they’re already having as well as the areas where they can improve.”
The mayor has made restructuring the police department one of his top priorities. Earlier this year, he formally requested that city officials amend a local ordinance, which requires that the police chief has to be an internal hire.
Arrigo had previously opted against renewing the contract of former police chief Joseph Cafarelli, which expired on June 30, citing a difference of philosophy. He later appointed Guido, formerly a captain in the department, as interim police chief, effective July 1.
Guido is in place while a top to bottom organizational review of the department is conducted. Arrigo has said the focus needs to be on transforming the department into a modern outfit focused on 21st century community policing. The mayor said a previous report on the department found an overemphasis on a paramilitary approach to policing.
