3 Assistant Chiefs OK’d

As the Board of Police Commissioners promoted three city cops to become assistant chiefs, Chairman Richard Epstein sent a message: What happens next falls entirely on the chief.

“Chief Limon understands that the success or failure of this rests on his shoulders,” said Epstein before the board took a vote. ​“At the end of the day it’s his call, and we respect that.”

The unanimous vote took place Tuesday night at police headquarters at 1 Union Ave.

With hugs and handshakes, former Lts. John Velleca and Petisia Adger and Capt. Patrick Redding moved up in rank to fill in the three vacant positions, joining the department’s sole assistant chief, Tobin Hensgen.

Police Chief Frank Limon had pushed hard for their promotion, going as far as to hold two meetings to win over aldermen who had been resistant to the plan.

Before making the appointments, commissioners questioned the chief in a closed-door session. They questioned each candidate separately, too.

After an hour and a half, they opened the doors of the conference room and invited public comment.

The appointments come against a backdrop of drastic budget cuts in departments across city government including the police department, where 16 cops were laid off in February amid vocal protests. Limon argued the move will actually save the department money by reducing overtime costs and streamlining departments.

Alderman Gerald Antunes, who had waited patiently in the hallway during the executive session, said that while he was partially swayed by the information given in Chief Limon’s meetings last week, he still believes the department could do with three assistant chiefs instead of four.

“And my question is about transparency,” he continued. ​“Why didn’t we hear of any opportunities for the rest of the department to apply for these positions?”

The board decided there was no need for a search, Epstein explained. ​“Our sense was that it’s the chief’s department, and he had three candidates he felt strongly about.”

Limon (pictured) said he wanted to pick candidates from within the force. ​“And after a year here, I’ve had an opportunity to evaluate the performance and commitment of the higher-ups,” he said.

“This is clearly a very, very serious decision for the department — over the last seven years it’s really been in a state of flux,” Epstein said. The police department has seen seven different assistant chiefs in the last three years, he said after the meeting.

Velleca is slated to take over Investigative Services. Adger will oversee professional standards, including officer training and community policing.

Redding (pictured) will oversee the patrol unit.

“Your responsibility here is enormous,” Epstein told the newly appointed assistant chiefs. ​“A failure at this point would be a disaster, as the department is fragile.”

“There will be no star amongst you if the others go down in flames,” he said.