MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — The Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department is pleased to announce that Todd J. Fitzgerald has officially begun his new role as Chief.

Chief Fitzgerald, a 28 year veteran of the department, was sworn in by Town Clerk Christina St. Pierre at a ceremony overseen by the Board of Selectmen at the Masonic Temple on Church Street at 7 p.m. on Thursday, and officially assumed his new position on Nov. 4. He has served as the department’s acting chief since April 1, and also previously served as acting chief from February 2016 to October 2016.

“As someone who has served the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea for my entire career, it’s an incredible honor to take on this position, and I plan to use my experience and knowledge to ensure this department continues to provide the highest quality policing services possible to our community,” Chief Fitzgerald said.

As Chief, he plans to promote a Lieutenant, Sergeant and Patrolman, and also to maintain accreditation as a department, a signifier that an agency meets an extensive list of the highest quality policing standards.

Chief Fitzgerald is also currently pursing a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from California Coast University. In 2015, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from New England College in Henniker, N.H.

A lifelong resident of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Chief Fitzgerald is also an alumnus of the former Manchester Junior-Senior High School.

Prior to serving as acting chief, he served as a Lieutenant and the Department’s Executive Officer for approximately five years, working as the second in command of the police department. He was tasked with responsibilities including the administration and supervision of aspects of the department including accreditation, deployment of personnel, training, community policing, dispatch operations and internal affairs.

He began his career with the department in 1989 as a beach patrol officer and assistant harbormaster, and since then advanced from reserve/intermittent patrolman to patrolman/detective, to police sergeant in 2008.

Chief Fitzgerald has undergone extensive professional development and leadership training, including surf and shoreline rescue, air/sea rescue training, basic harbormaster academy, four day basic detective training, incident response to terrorist bombings, polishing the badge leadership training, sergeants leadership training, 911 liability training, police accountability and discipline for executives and a ten month police executive development training for police at the Municipal Police Institute (MPI).

He is additionally a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and certified Sexual Assault Investigator, and graduated from the 93rd FBI LEEDA Executive Leadership Institute, 152nd FBI LEEDA Command Institute and FBI LEEDA Supervisor Leadership Institute this April. He received the FBI LEEDA trilogy award for leadership training in April.

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