New Salem Police Chief: 'We Need Not Be Afraid Of Scrutiny'

SALEM, MA — New Salem Chief of Police Lucas Miller issued a challenge to the department to answer the call of an unprecedented time in policing with fair, responsible and equitable treatment of all residents during the longtime New York City detective's official swearing-in ceremony Tuesday morning.

"I will not sugarcoat it," he said. "It is a tough time to be a police officer. We have never faced greater scrutiny, sharper criticism, less benefit of the doubt.

"But here's why I’m still doing this job. Here is why this noble profession will persevere. We need not be afraid of scrutiny, of criticism. We don't need the benefit of the doubt. What we do — what you do — is not shameful. It's not secret.

"And it's not a necessary evil."

Miller addressed rising crime levels in Salem and across the country, cases of police abuse that are disproportionately directed at racial minorities, new ideas on community policing and how having a camera lens focused more intensely on police work will bring out the "99.9 percent of the time when police interactions with the public are what they should be — fair and respectful."

Most of his speech was directed straight at the members of the department in attendance.

"There are those who will tell you they have an answer that doesn't involve the police," he said. "We must be open to new ideas. Crime-fighting can take on lots of different forms. We need partners in the community.

"But who will answer the call when the wolf is really at the door? You will. We will."

Miller, a detective lieutenant in the NYPD since 2017 and member of the NYPD FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, replaces Acting Chief Dennis King, who was recently named the new police chief in Marblehead.

Miller was selected as Salem's new chief last month.

He spent the past 16 years as an NYPD supervisor and has ties to Massachusetts dating back to when he started his career in the Wellfleet Police Department in 1991.

Miller served as a homicide supervisor, patrol supervisor, narcotics and community policing officer in New York. He also taught counterterrorism for the NYPD Police Department.

"One of the things I learned from the people of the Bronx while I was assigned there was that people want to live their lives in safety," he said. "People want to be able to go to work, send their kids to school, without worrying. Everyone would like someone to watch over them to make sure they are OK.

"Who will watch over Salem? You will. You do. We do."

Mayor Kim Driscoll said Salem has never been a community that could get by with "a caretaker chief" and that the city’s department has never been afraid to innovate when it came to use-of-force policies and responsible policing.

Her recently released budget to the City Council includes funds for police body cameras in Salem.

"We are not a bedroom community north of Boston — we're a city," Driscoll said. "We face our challenges, whatever they are, head-on. We are a city with people, in our neighborhoods and public service, who are engaged, thoughtful and collaborative. That's what makes Salem the special city that it is — a place that works for and welcomes everyone.

"That spirit is and should be exemplified by our police department — with respect and deference for our past without being afraid of change. An enthusiasm for new challenges and new ideas. And a deep commitment to our community, its neighborhood and its people."

Driscoll said she believes Miller will "lead with transparency, accountability and safety in mind. The safety of our officers and the safety of our diversity of residents."

Former Salem Chief Robert St. Pierre said he has counseled Miller extensively to help get him up to speed on the area and Salem force amid what he called "turbulent times in law enforcement."

He commended Miller for taking on the task of a new department in a new city at a time when he said recently passed police reform legislation has led to the retirement of 80 chiefs across the state in the past year, including 13 on the North Shore.

"Instead of riding off and enjoying a well-deserved retirement after 30 years of service in New York, Chief Miller is stepping into the eye of the storm," St. Pierre said. "This is no small task to ask of a new chief. Though fraught with professional dangers for him, I believe he is up to the task.”

Miller pledged to be just that for the department and the city.

"You have given me a very fast ship with the finest crew," he concluded, "and we will not let you down."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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