Weymouth Announces Selection of New Chief of Police, Captain Richard M. Fuller Jr.

Mayor Robert Hedlund announced his selection of Captain Richard M. Fuller Jr. to succeed Chief Richard C. Grimes as the next Weymouth Police Department Chief. Chief Grimes will reach the Civil Service retirement age of 65 in December. Upon Chief Grimes’ retirement, Captain Fuller will succeed him as Chief of Police. Captain Fuller has been a member of the Weymouth Police Department for over 24 years and has served as a Captain in the Department since 2012.  

“Captain Fuller’s commitment to serving Weymouth and ensuring the Department’s efficiency and effectiveness, while also upholding the morale of the Department in his role, has made him a valuable asset and leader within the Weymouth Police Department,” said Mayor Hedlund. “I believe those skills and his vast experience will enable him to seamlessly transition into the role of Chief.”  

Captain Fuller, who is a lifelong resident of Weymouth, has been a dedicated public servant of the Department and Town for over 24 years, devoting his entire police career to the Weymouth Police Department. Fuller was promoted to Captain in 2012 and since has served as the head of the Investigative Services Division which is responsible for and oversees, Detectives, Professional Standards and Internal Affairs, the Narcotics Unit, Firearms and Licensing unit, Evidence and Property Unit, Social Media, and Media/Public Relations. In addition, in his role with the Investigative Services Division, Captain Fuller serves as Chief Grimes’ Public Information Officer. His experience within the Department is evidenced by his ascension through the ranks, first being sworn in as a Patrolman in 1995, Detective in 2001, Detective Sergeant in 2004, Detective Lieutenant in 2009, and Detective Captain in 2012. In addition, Captain Fuller holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Massachusetts, as well as many specialized certifications and trainings, including completing the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Trilogy, consisting of Supervisory, Command and Executive Leadership courses. Captain Fuller, along with other Weymouth Police Command Staff members, attended the prestigious Police Chief and Command Leadership Academy at Endicott College.

“I have always believed that one of the primary responsibilities of the Chief of Police is to identify and build future leaders, beginning within our patrol division, right up through our command staff”, said Chief Grimes. “The Weymouth Police Department is blessed with extraordinarily strong women and men who are willing to take on the challenges of today’s policing. It is the job of the Chief to ensure that their troops have the best tools, training, and confidence to carry out their duties, knowing they have both the respect and support of the Office of the Chief of Police.”

Chief Grimes continued, “It is this philosophy that reassures me and comfortably enables me to be in total support of Mayor Hedlund’s decision to select Captain Richard M. Fuller Jr. to succeed me as the tenth permanent Chief of Police in the Town of Weymouth.” 

The appointment of a new Chief was precipitated by the retirement of Chief Grimes. According to Civil Service Law - the statute that regulates the hiring, appointment, or promotion of municipal employees within municipalities - the Police Chief is required to retire at the age of 65. Weymouth has adopted Civil Service for its Police and Fire Departments. According to the Town Charter, the Mayor shall, subject to Civil Service laws and rules, appoint a Police Chief.

Based on the Civil Service process, any officer in a particular rank is eligible to take the exam for the next highest officer rank. For that of Chief, the preceding rank, in Weymouth, is that of a Captain. Weymouth Police Department has 4 Captain positions, all of whom were eligible to apply for the position of Chief based on previous qualifying Civil Service exams and their status on the promotional lists.

As part of the hiring process, Weymouth also conducted an assessment exam and interview of all candidates eligible for the position. Weymouth utilized the services of Public Safety Consultants, LLC (PSC) to administer the assessment exam which produces anonymized results and scoring that can be used for consideration in the hiring process. After completing interviews with the eligible candidates and utilizing the information from the assessment, the Mayor, as the Charter-authorized appointing authority, then selected the new chief.

The Town was fortunate to have three Captains test for the position. All are existing members of the command staff and are extremely qualified, providing for a challenging decision but one that is indicative of the quality of officers the Weymouth Police Department is fortunate to have on staff.

“I am extremely grateful to Chief Grimes for his work and years of service to the Town as well as his assistance with the Civil Service hiring process. His dedication to Weymouth is recognized by anyone in Town who has worked with or interacted with him during his tenure, and his proactive approach to transitioning the Chief’s role will be paramount to a seamless, successful change in leadership,” Mayor Hedlund stated. “I cannot thank the Chief enough for his commitment to ensuring the continuity of leadership for this community, as is evidenced by the transition plan and number of highly qualified candidates who applied for the position from among the Weymouth Police Department’s command staff.”

With the selection of Captain Richard M. Fuller Jr. as successor to Chief Grimes, Captain Fuller will be able to work alongside Chief Grimes through a transition period until the Chief’s retirement at the end of December.