CANTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Canton residents voiced their priorities and hopes for their new police chief during a public forum Wednesday as the town looks to rebound from scandal and regain citizens’ trust in its police force following the Karen Read murder case.
The forum was held at Canton High School Wednesday night.
“I can’t stress enough the integrity. This guy’s got to be able to stand up and say hey everyone is accountable,” said one resident.
The town is also seeking input through online surveys and paper forms at various town offices.
Chief Helena Rafferty, who became the first woman in charge of Canton Police in 2022, retired this summer. Much of her tenure coincided with the Karen Read case, thrusting Canton into the national spotlight.
The murder case led to a lengthy audit of the department, which found no evidence of corruption, but did fault officers for how they handled Boston police officer and Read’s boyfriend John O’Keefe’s death investigation.
The department subsequently underwent an overhaul of its standards and procedures.
Rafferty also faced her own controversy; in 2024 she hit a man with her department issued cruiser in a Wrentham crosswalk. She was criticized for waiting months to publicly acknowledge what happened, and fined for failing to yield.
People who live in Canton made it clear that accountability should be a top priority for their new police chief.
“We’ve seen too much in the last few years where people made mistakes, didn’t follow procedure…but no consequences,” said one resident.
Middleboro’s former police chief is serving as Canton’s interim chief. He promised to help the town navigate the hiring process.
Canton’s town administrator hopes to name a new, permanent police chief by the end of the year.
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