LYNNFIELD — New Police Chief Nick Secatore and new Captain Chris DeCarlo were sworn in at a Select Board meeting on Monday night.
A 13-year veteran of the police department, Secatore ditched the interim tag that he received in August of 2020 and now will permanently take over the position.
Secatore is a 1997 graduate of Lynnfield High School, where he was a standout wrestler. A Marine Corps veteran with national-security clearance, Secatore majored in mathematics at Merrimack College and worked as a financial analyst at Fidelity Investments.
“This town has been the best place to work for me,” he said. “I owe everything to the town (of Lynnfield). I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”
DeCarlo transferred to the Lynnfield Police Department by way of the Winthrop Police Department in 2015. A year later, he became a part-time detective for the department. In 2017 he received a promotion to sergeant and in 2020 he took over criminal investigations for the town.
The new captain is also assisting the department in rewriting its policy and procedures along with assessing the department for certifications. He recently completed training at the Merrimack College Police Academy. During his time at Merrimack, he taught criminal law and criminal procedure.
DeCarlo stated that being named captain was a very humbling experience for him.
“I’m certainly excited to take this role on,” he said. “It’s truly an honor.”
DeCarlo also thanked Secatore for all his support.
Chair of the Select Board Dick Dalton called the swearing in a “new era” for the police department. He also said that with new challenges for law enforcement, selecting quality leaders is an important job for the board.
“That’s why it’s so important to those of us entrusted with the responsibility of selecting the individuals to lead the Lynnfield Police Department,” Dalton said. “That we ensure those individuals we appoint have the personal integrity, management skills, commitment to the town, the attitude and demeanor to garner the respect of the men and women who will serve under their command, and most importantly to instill and maintain a strong sense of confidence in their police department.”
Dalton added that he expects Secatore and DeCarlo to not only meet those expectations but exceed them.
Secatore also talked about what policing will look like under his leadership after being sworn in.
“Now we hear the words ‘21st century policing,” he said. “We hear about justice, equity, and continuity in law enforcement. We hear about building trust and accountability in the community. I wanted to tell all of you, we’ve been doing that here in the town of Lynnfield for 100 years and we are going to continue to do that.”
