Newton Police Chief David MacDonald To Step Down

NEWTON, MA — Newton Police Chief David MacDonald has given his resignation after 27 years as a Newton police officer, the last five years as chief, the mayor's office confirmed. The sudden resignation came as a surprise to many in the community.

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said although MacDonald, who is 56, only gave his notice Tuesday morning, he had been contemplating his retirement. As Newton prepares to "reimagine" Newton's police department amid a rekindled Civil Rights movement, he said his successor would be better off starting the work, rather than coming in halfway, according to Fuller.

MacDonald, a native of Upper Falls, joined the department in 1993 as a patrol officer. He was a captain when Mayor Setti Warren chose him to succeed Howard Mintz as chief in 2015. Mintz was 65 when he retired. During his tenure MacDonald focused on community policing and building bridges between the police department and the community, through special events, coffee with a cop and more recently opening a satellite station at City Hall.

The department has come under fire recently, amid protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. A Minnesota police officer held him pinned down by the neck for nearly 9 minutes, setting off sweeping protests across the country - including in Newton - against racial injustice.

Earlier this month a former Northeastern assistant athletic director said he was racially profiled just a block from his home in Newton. He was walking to the grocery store when several officers surrounded him and one drew his weapon. Later police said they mistook him for a wanted murderer. Read more: Newton Police Draw Gun On A Former Northeastern Athletic Director

In 2015, when Mintz was still chief, a Black Emerson professor disputed a Newton police officer's account of a speeding ticket, the ACLU got involved and later the ticket was vacated.

MacDonald told the City Council in the wake of an investigation into that event and amid calls among activists to redirect funds for the police department, that the force would undergo a rethink.

But it appears he won't be the one to do it. The chief told the mayor Tuesday morning of his intention to retire, according to the mayor's office.

"In the last few weeks, the chief and I have worked closely together as we began to consider the ways in which our Department can reimagine law enforcement and be a leader in Massachusetts for just policing," said Fuller in a statement Tuesday evening. "We have spent many hours contemplating what we are doing well and what we can do better. I was proud to see Chief MacDonald talk thoughtfully about the results of his hard work these past five years as the Chief and I looked forward to tackling this great task together."

MacDonald said he will now be able to spend more time with his wife and their two children and focus on his health.

Chief MacDonald was a Narcotics Investigator and Supervisor for the Middlesex County Drug Taskforce for seven years. He earned his Bachelor Degree in Political Science from UMass Amherst and his Masters of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from New England College.

"I am proud of his commitment to procedural justice and treating all people with dignity and giving residents a voice," said Fuller. "This week we will work together to decide on the date of his retirement."

Fuller said she would make a decision soon on who will serve as acting chief as we undertake the search for MacDonald’s replacement.

Previously:

• Newton Picks New Police Chief (2015)

• Newton Police Open Substation In City Hall (Oct. 2019)
• Newton Police Department Gets $88K Grant From State (February 2020)

• Newton Mayor Agrees To Use $200K Of Police Budget To Review Department
• Read more: Newton Police Draw Gun On A Former Northeastern Athletic Director

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).Have a press release you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how to post a press release, a column, event or opinion piece