Methuen Police Department


The Methuen Police Department has the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of Methuen, Massachusetts.

Rank structure

  • Chief of Police
  • Deputy Chief - The rank of Deputy Chief was eliminated on March 1, 2008, with the retirement of Deputy Police Chief Joseph Alaimo.
  • Captains
  • Lieutenants
  • Sergeants
  • Patrolmen

Police Chiefs

  • Cyril Feugill about 1958?
  • Christopher H. Devine
  • Francis J Morse 1972 to 1985 Retired June 1985 Died: February 7, 1986
  • Donald DeSantis Appointed: July 1, 1985, retired: April 1, 1995 Died: June 5, 2007
  • Bruce A. MacDougall Appointed Chief:1995 Retired:2002
  • Joseph E. Solomon Appointed:2002 Removed: May 7, 2008 Reinstated: Oct 1, 2010

Layoffs in 2019

On January 24, 2019, the department started laying off 50 officers because of a contract dispute. If the pay raises in question had gone into effect, Methuen would have overspent its budget, which is illegal in Massachusetts. This led to an investigation by the Inspector General of Massachusetts who concluded that approving the 2017 contract “likely violated state and municipal laws... and failed to comply with their own municipal rules and breached their fiduciary duties to the residents of Methuen.”