SPRINGFIELD — The City Council will petition the state to allow Deputy Police Chief Lawrence Akers to work past the mandatory retirement age of 65 so he can head up the police department.
After some discussion, councilors approved the plan unanimously, but they stumbled over two other proposals that would turn regulations on how hiring and discipline is handled in the police department into official city ordinances.
“I support him wholeheartedly,” City Councilor Sean Curran said. “He has been a friend to the department, he has been a friend to the city and I think the administration has made the right decision.”
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced his plans to promote Akers to police superintendent when Cheryl C. Clapprood, the current head of the department, retires in April, just before her 65th birthday.
Akers, a 38-year-veteran of the department, has served in nearly every police unit. He has been lauded by police unions, city officials and others as a solid choice to lead the department as it recovers from multiple problems many of which were highlighted in a 2020 federal Department of Justice investigation that specifically called out the now-defunct Narcotics Bureau for widespread use of force violations.
“He is very community-oriented. He knows what is going on in the community,” Councilor Maria Perez said.
As the first Black police commissioner and someone who has lived in the city most of his life, he reflects the makeup of Springfield, she added.
Councilors noted Akers’ integrity, abilities and knowledge, but member Zaida Govan said she was concerned about consistency of leadership in the department since Akers could retire at any time.
But Akers said he sees his age and his experience as the senior officer in the department as a plus. He said he is in excellent health, energetic and excited to keep the department moving forward.
“I want what is best for the city. I will always want the best for the department. I want what is the best for the residents of the city,” he said.
Akers turned 64 in December and the state has a mandatory retirement age of 65 for police officers, which can only be overridden by vote of the City Council and mayor. They then must send the issue to the state legislature for approval under the home rule petition process.
Already, state Rep. Bud L. Williams, D-Springfield, along with other members of the city’s legislative delegation, said they will help push the petition through. Most home rule petitions are easily passed if they have support of the community.
The vote will allow Akers to continue working for the city to 70. For now, Sarno said he will negotiate a three-year contract with him but that can be extended.
Also at issue is the residency requirement. Akers said he has lived in Springfield all his life until about five years ago when he and his wife sold their home and moved to Palmer in anticipation of him retiring, but then he took the captain’s exam and decided to stay longer.
“I love this city I will absolutely be moving back here … I didn’t really want to move out,” he said adding he and his wife have already started to look at houses even though he has a year to move back here once he takes the position.
While the petition to submit the home rule petition passed unanimously, the move to create the two ordinances resulted in debates that stretched nearly two hours.
One of the ordinances, which codifies the authority the police superintendent currently has to hire and promote officers, passed on the first reading. It now will be put on the City Council March 11 agenda for a second and final reading.
The second calls for the Board of Police Commissioners to have the authority over disciplining and terminating officers. The City Council voted to send that issue to subcommittee for further discussion, which means that the first reading for that proposal will be pushed off until a later meeting.
With city councilors bringing up multiple questions and concerns about both ordinances, City Councilor Lavar Click-Bruce said he would call a public safety committee meeting to discuss both issues and make sure councilors have their questions answered and the information they need.
The City Council has now scheduled a special meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday to discuss the two proposals with all members.
The duties are currently spelled out in a memorandum of understanding authored by the Law Department in which they voluntarily agreed that they would only enforce police discipline, and not otherwise be involved in hiring, promotions or day-to-day management of the department.
The agreement is part of a lengthy saga of bringing civilian oversight to the state’s third largest police department through a civilian police commission. In light of multiple complaints of police misconduct, the City Council voted in 2016 to restore a five-member commission that was abolished in 2005 over objections of Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.
The matter ended in the hands of the state Supreme Judicial Court which ruled the City Council had the authority to restore the commission.
City Councilor Tracye Whitfield said there were “sneaky tactics” surrounding the memo of understanding and it needs to be discussed more.
While she supports Akers and wants to give him the authority he needs to lead the department, Whitfield reminded members that he will not be there forever and the City Council has to make sure they do the right thing when creating the ordinances.