Credit: Fiona Peltonen

The process of selecting a police chief spans multiple departments and draws on feedback from community members across town. Wayland Town Manager Michael McCall is responsible for selecting a finalist for the role, a decision that requires significant thought given the scope of the job. McCall is currently evaluating candidates and working with town officials to choose a final contender.

Over the past two months, the Wayland Select Board and Wayland Police Department have carried out a multistep application process to choose the department’s next chief, following former Police Chief Ed Burman’s retirement.

News of Burman’s retirement came somewhat abruptly, so town officials needed to appoint a temporary replacement quickly. Town Manager Michael McCall named Wayland Police Lt. Mark Herbert acting police chief until a new chief is selected. Herbert will remain in the role until a final candidate is chosen.

“Sometimes you get a little more notice, and you could plan a little more orderly transition,” McCall said. “We didn’t have that, so I immediately sought to put Lieutenant Hebert in.”

After appointing Herbert, McCall began the selection process for a new chief. Both McCall and the Wayland Select Board play roles in choosing the department’s next leader. McCall will first select a finalist from the applicant pool, and that candidate must then be approved unanimously by the Select Board.

McCall has gone through this process before. He selected Burman after former Police Chief Sean Gibbons was placed on administrative leave.

Although McCall makes the final decision on which candidate will assume the role, the process of selecting a police chief relies heavily on input from community members. Collaboration is especially important given the prominence of the position and the police department’s role in a wide range of town operations.

McCall works with a variety of departments in Wayland, gathering different perspectives to help choose someone who can meet the town’s needs. In the past, he has also held community sessions to hear from residents and better understand what qualities the town is looking for in a chief.

“The community has expressed a desire to have someone who’s in touch with the community on a regular basis and who understands community policing and understands the unique needs of Wayland,” McCall said.

In previous years, McCall has worked with consulting companies made up of former police chiefs to help the screening and interviewing process. McCall’s evaluation of candidates relies on feedback from individuals who know the inner workings and and necessary attributes of a police chief first hand.

“They do a variety of different things to see the breadth and depth of knowledge that these candidates have,” McCall said. “They have to know the subject matter, and they have to have the ability to think on their feet and be not only critical thinkers, but strategic thinkers.”

In the past, McCall has organized a panel of various department heads throughout the town to conduct interviews with candidates, allowing for town members to get a feel for what interactions with the potential police chief would be like. This tests applicants’ chemistry with the community, allowing for an assessment of their overall collaboration ability.

“I think this is a very important role [in the selection process],” McCall said. “You could pick anybody off a resume, but you really need to know how they fit in the field with your department heads, because they’re going to rely on each other.”

McCall and the police department have stressed the importance of choosing an effective communicator with a deep understanding of the community and its needs. Although it adds time to the process, the multistep system of consultations, department meetings and interviews helps ensure the final candidate is a strong fit for the position.

“The world of law enforcement is constantly evolving,” McCall said. “We’re seeing different things every day, so I have to have somebody that has that flexibility to adapt and understand the challenges that we see every day and somebody who can relate to the community.”

Alongside the application process, McCall and the Select Board are observing Herbert’s performance as acting chief. They hope the six-month period will not only give them a clearer sense of his abilities, but also allow Herbert to decide whether he wants the position permanently.

“I wanted him to have an opportunity to spend a little time in the position,” McCall said. “Not everybody wants to be the number one, because there’s a lot of responsibility.”

Herbert has served as acting chief for the past two months. He works closely with a team of six sergeants, who advise him on the responsibilities of a police chief and areas for improvement.

Herbert grew up in Wayland and discovered his interest in law enforcement in high school. At first, he was drawn to policing on a federal level through agencies such as the FBI, but later shifted toward local law enforcement, which ultimately brought him back to the Wayland community.

“I like helping people, and I like being a part of this community,” Herbert said. “I was a big part of the community growing up in Wayland, and I wanted to continue doing that so law enforcement has been a great place for that.”

The transition from lieutenant to police chief can be overwhelming given the difference in responsibilities. One area Herbert has had to adjust to is organizing grants, which he had little experience with before his appointment.

“I’ve never really done any grantsmanship before, it’s kind of a new process to me, so I’ve been learning [about] all the different state agencies you have to work with,” Herbert said. “I’ve been glad that I’ve been able to learn it as I go along here.”

According to Herbert, the shift from lieutenant to acting chief has come with a learning curve, but he is determined to grow into the role.

“My biggest takeaway is that the time and attention it takes is pretty significant in the chief world, and it’s something that I enjoy, and I’m looking forward to learning to do better,” Herbert said. “I’m not sure how long I’m going to be in the acting position, but as long as I am, I want to drive the department forward.”