Rafferty to make history as first female police chief

Without much discussion but lots of admiration for her work, the Canton Select Board on Tuesday voted 5-0 to appoint Deputy Chief Helena Rafferty as the town’s new chief of police.

Rafferty, a CPD fixture for more than three decades, will officially assume the new title following the retirement of Chief Ken Berkowitz on June 15. In doing so, she will become the first female police chief in the town’s history.

Helena Rafferty

Select Board Chair Mike Loughran had outlined the board’s options for handling the vacancy, ranging from establishing a search committee to soliciting both internal and external applicants; however, all agreed that their preferred course of action was to give the job directly to Rafferty, the department’s number two in command for the past decade.

“I personally think that we should just promote her as we’ve done in the past,” noted Select Board member John Connolly. “In the Fire Department we promoted Chief [Charles] Doody from deputy to chief, and I think we should do the same thing here. [Rafferty] has been deputy chief for 10 years, she’s done a great job, she’s been acting chief, and so why waste everybody’s time?”

Connolly’s colleagues unanimously agreed, and they all extended their congratulations to Rafferty, who was in attendance at the meeting. “See, sometimes good things do happen to good people,” Connolly told her.

Rafferty will get to decide who replaces her as deputy police chief when she assumes the new position.

In other major news from Tuesday’s meeting, the Select Board supported the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Department to move the July 4 festivities …

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Posted by Mike Berger on Apr 29 2022. Filed under News, Police & Fire. Both comments and pings are currently closed.