METHUEN — The Methuen Police Department would like to announce that Police Chief Scott J. McNamara was sworn in Tuesday morning by City Clerk John J. Wilson.
Chief McNamara, who has 25 years of law enforcement experience, now takes the helm of the Methuen Police Department, overseeing its 98 professional sworn officers and 16 dedicated civilian employees.
The new chief’s daughters recited the Pledge of Allegiance in a ceremony that included an introduction by Mayor Neil Perry, who appointed McNamara, and a performance of the National Anthem by Methuen High School Student Ella MacLaren.
McNamara’s wife pinned the chief’s new badge on after City Clerk Wilson swore him in.
“This is a city that is truly all pulling in the same direction. I’m awestruck and blown away by it, and I know now I need to double down on my own efforts just to keep up,” Chief McNamara said in remarks to family, colleagues, and Methuen leaders. “This department is full of talented officers who are dedicated to improving the lives of the citizens of Methuen.”
McNamara began his law enforcement career with Lawrence Police in 1996, serving as a patrolman before rising through the ranks to Captain in 2008. From 2008 to earlier this year, McNamara served as the Lawrence Police Department’s captain in charge of the Bureau of Field Services — a position in which he commanded 90 sworn officers and 17 civilians as they responded to an average of 50,000 to 70,000 calls for service yearly.
“Chief McNamara stood out from a field of highly qualified candidates for this role, and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to lead the department in a way that is innovative and considerate of the needs of everyone in our city,” Mayor Perry said. “I look forward to the positive impact his leadership will have not only on the men and women sworn to protect and serve our residents, but on our community as a whole.”
Since May, McNamara served as captain in charge of the Lawrence Police Department’s Bureau of Professional Standards, where he oversaw internal affairs, conducted compliance checks on overtime and detail compensation, worked on the department’s efforts to build a new police station, and commanded administrative divisions overseeing evidence, courts, the sex offender registry, public records and information technology.
McNamara has earned an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Northern Essex Community College, a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Salem State College, and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from UMass Lowell.
McNamara has completed additional training courses in:
- Police reform legislation with the Commonwealth Police Legacy
- Internal Affairs Certification with the Municipal Police Institute
- Planning, Designing and Construction Police Facilities with the International Association of Chiefs of Police
- Executive Command and Staff Development with the Municipal Police Institute
- Police Chief and Command Leadership Academy at Endicott College
- Senior Management Institute for Police at UMass Boston
- Commander Leadership Training with the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI LEEDA)
- Massachusetts Police Leadership Institute at UMass Lowell
“I know this job can’t be done from behind a desk. I must lead from the front,” McNamara said,” offering thanks to those who trained and mentored him over the years. “I know policing is changing all the time, and we must change with it and maintain a deep, meaningful relationship with the community we serve.”
Chief McNamara thanked Interim Chiefs Thomas McEnaney and Randy Haggar, as well as all those in Methuen who have welcomed him.
Chief McNamara begins his work immediately.
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