A no confidence vote of 40 of 41 Police Department Employees earlier this year resulted in the immediate resignation of the Gardner Dispatch Director. The retirement of the Deputy Chief followed a couple months later. This latest announcement of the retirement of Chief Braks brings this chapter of the Gardner PD to a close.
Once a new Chief receives a temporary appointment, the Mayor plans to post the Deputy Chief position.
Chief Braks Retires from Gardner MA PD – Panel of Five to Convene
Mayor Nicholson sent this email to the Gardner City Council around 3pm on June 22, 2022: “I am writing to inform you that Chief Richard Braks of the Gardner Police Department has decided to retire from the City after 23 years of service. I’d like to thank Chief Braks for his years of dedicated service to the Department and the City and wish him well on his retirement and next endeavors.”
The Mayor has appointed a search committee of five to conduct the review and preliminary interview process for applicants for the position. This Panel of the Gardner Five will submit the top two or three candidates to Mayor Nicholson for a final interview. “This committee will be comprised of Human Resources Director Debra Pond, Retired Chief Vincent Alfano – who served as Gardner’s Acting Chief for a time, Chief Richard Briggs of the Ashland Police Department, Chief Ralph LeBlanc of the Westminster Police Department, and Director Michael Moriarty of the Rutland Regional Emergency Communications Center.” The Mayor intends to make a 60 day temporary appointment of the successful candidate before asking the Gardner City Council to approve a full 3 year term.
Read the Mayor’s complete email to the City Council here.