Gloucester Civil Service Chief of Police Referendum (November 2009)

This local ballot measure article needs to be updated.

---

There was a Gloucester Civil Service Chief of Police Referendum on the November 3 ballot in Essex County for voters in the city of Gloucester.

This referendum sought to remove the current civil service system that is in place which appoints the Chief of Police. Currently top police officers take an exam and the chief is selected out of those candidates. This referendum will repeal that system and instead go back to a system of having the chief elected by the people. Proponents say this system works and it keeps the chief position safe from partisan bias and helps ensure there is not a revolving door with the position. Opponents say it does not lend itself to accountability for the chief with the city people.

Election result

Gloucester Civil Service Chief of Police Referendum
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		3048	61.88%
No		1878	38.12%
Total votes		4926	100.00%
Voter turnout		0%

Aftermath

The Police Union are challenging this vote, asking the state to invalidate the vote and make it so the chief is selected by an exam still. The police union has noted discrepancies it sees in the referendum and the legal issues that it hopes will overturn the vote. The city is currently preparing a new means of deciding on a new chief while the issue gets resolved.

City voters see this as a challenge that reflects poorly on the police department. The voter's choice was overwhelmingly against the current police choice option and many see the arguments made by the police force as going against the city residents. Though the police say they are not against the city residents, this push for a reversal of the vote says another thing.