Captain Paul Covino will be promoted to Acting Deputy Chief
City to close application period for Chief of Police Candidates on September 28

To ensure a smooth transition and continuity of operations upon Police Chief Jack D. Buckley’s retirement on December 19, Captain Paul Covino has been promoted to the position of Temporary Deputy Chief with subsequent promotions backfilling positions, Mayor Breanna Lungo announced.

“This organizational restructuring gives officers and new command staff the opportunity to continue to learn the management operations under Chief Buckley for the next three months, making the eventual onboarding of the new chief as seamless as possible,” Mayor Lungo-Koehn said. “Chief Buckley has a wealth of institutional knowledge and is in the process of securing accreditation for the department before entering retirement. This transition period will afford police leadership the opportunity to benefit from his experience while taking on greater responsibilities and preparing the department for its next chapter. We believe these changes will stabilize the department during this transition.”

Captain Paul Covino brings over 40 years of experience with the Medford Police Department and has served with distinction in a variety of leadership roles, including night patrol, community service, and in the Investigative Services Bureau. He was also appointed provisional Police Chief in June, temporarily fulfilling the role while Chief Jack Buckley was out on extended leave.

The City is currently in the process of gathering resumes from prospective Police Chief candidates and has been receiving positive feedback on the applicant pool from its hiring consultant MGT. The City will close the application process on September 28 and begin background checks, screening and interviews will begin in mid to late fall. The Mayor is working to establish an interview panel to assist in the hiring process.