Interim Fall River Police Chief Paul Gauvin has been on the job for nearly five months and is laying the groundwork to soon become appointed permanent chief.
Gauvin replaced Jeffrey Cardoza in December after the city announced Cardoza’s leave for medical reasons and his retirement in March. Gauvin has been a member of the FRPD for over 25 years and says a contract to install him as permanent chief is near completion.
Gauvin comes into the job as the department continues to face public challenges and scrutiny. The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation into the discovery that drug arrest logs for the last two years have gone missing, potentially jeopardizing drug prosecutions. Gauvin says the department is cooperating fully with the investigation while taking a hands-off approach.
Despite the recent investigation and past police allegations of improper conduct leading to suspensions and terminations, Gauvin says he has tried to solidify the culture within the department and those actions have been well received by rank and file officers.
Gauvin says the department is moving ahead toward instituting the use of body cameras to take advantage of a $200,000 grant the department has received to help defray the costs of the program.
Gauvin is also working with the administration and city council on the development of an ordinance to deal with nuisance ATVs and off-road motorbikes on city streets. He hopes a draft of a proposed ordinance will come before the city council soon.
The recently released police department annual report shows that all crime across Fall River rose by just over one percent in 2021 over 2020 with violent crime rising over twenty percent. Gauvin says a one-year snapshot of crime does not tell the entire story.
Gauvin says the department has made a concerted effort to take illegal firearms off the street and it continues to work with local agencies in helping combat drug overdoses. He remains committed to carrying on a commitment by prior chiefs to expand community policing encouraging patrol officers to become active participants in neighborhood activity.
Ensuring the department has a full complement of officers remains a challenge as more officers retire and bad police behavior continues to be the focus of media coverage.
In gaining the trust of the community, Gauvin says no police department is perfect but remaining transparent and responsible continues to be the priority of the department.
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