James P. Lovell was appointed to the position of Chief of Police in June of 2021, filling the vacancy created by Chief Patrick M. Ambrose, who retired in January.
Prior to his promotion, Lovell served as the Captain in charge of Operations for almost six years overseeing patrol, criminal investigations, and accreditation. Chief Lovell was first hired as a patrolman in 1998, became a detective in 2006, was promoted to Sergeant in 2007 and Lieutenant in 2013.
Chief Lovell earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University, his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Salem State University, a Graduate Certificate in Local Government and Leadership from Suffolk University, and he attended PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Policing. Chief Lovell is an assessor for the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission and a member of their Standards and Training Committee.