Davis replaces chief of homicide, investigations head
Commissioner cites high rate of unsolved crimes
Boston police Commissioner Edward F. Davis replaced the head of the department's homicide division and the overall head of police investigations yesterday in the most widespread shake-up of his command staff since he took over the department last year.
Davis said it was time to replace the homicide chief, Deputy Superintendent Daniel J. Coleman, and he transferred Paul F. Joyce Jr., superintendent for the Bureau of Investigative Services, after years of unsolved crimes that dragged clearance rates far below national averages.
"Clearance rates are a major issue for us right now," Davis said in an interview last night. "We are devoting a significant amount of time and the best people we have to increasing those numbers."
Taking over the Homicide Division will be Deputy Superintendent Thomas Lee, who is credited with the successful overhaul of the troubled Special Operations Division involved in the pepper-pellet shooting death of Victoria Snelgrove, 21, during a Red Sox victory celebration in 2004. Taking over for Joyce will be Superintendent Bruce A. Holloway, a former homicide investigator who has recently been in charge of auditing department policies and procedures.
The shake-up included several other moves, including the promotion of the head of 911 response services to oversee the Internal Affairs Division, the creation of an office for new police programs, which Joyce will run, and the promotion of Davis's chief of staff to a post overseeing all patrol operations.
The changes effectively end a long-running feud between the investigative and patrol branches that some observers say virtually crippled the department under former Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole. Joyce, who as head of the investigative branch also oversaw the youth-violence and drug units, often clashed with Superintendent Robert P. Dunford, who as commander of the Bureau of Field Services oversaw regular patrol operations. Davis promoted Dunford yesterday to superintendent in chief, overseeing both branches.
"I've been here for seven months, and I'm trying to craft a command staff that will effectively deliver community policing to the city of Boston," Davis said. "I think this is a really good team that we've put together and I'm really looking forward to working closely with them."
Davis said Holloway, who now will oversee the investigative branch, has shown "incredible commitment" in his auditing post and is well respected in the community. Deputy Superintendent Kenneth Fong, who will be promoted to superintendent overseeing Internal Affairs, is credited with training 911 dispatchers to be more polite and tackling other management problems "with a real customer service mentality," Davis said.
Davis's chief of staff, Deputy Superintendent Daniel P. Linskey, who will be promoted to superintendent and take over Dunford's post overseeing regular patrol operations, is "innovative, dedicated, and a well-respected officer who understands street-level police work," Davis said.
As for Lee, who will take over homicide investigations, one story may tell it all: During Davis's first week on the job, he sat at a command staff meeting and held a poster with a triangle highlighting violence in the Bowdoin-Geneva area of Dorchester and pointedly asked, "What are we going to do about it? " Feet shuffled in the room until Lee spoke up.
"He said, 'Hey, boss, give me a month, and I'll turn it around,' " Davis recalled. Davis said he liked Lee's initiative.
The homicide unit had identified a suspect in only 38 percent of the 74 homicides last year and 29 percent of the 75 committed in 2005. Those rates are far below the 70 percent in 2002. According to the FBI, about 62 percent of US homicide cases were cleared in 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available.
Police officials said they have not determined what will happen to Coleman, the former head of the homicide unit. As head of the new Office of Strategic Innovation, Joyce will keep his title of superintendent and be allowed to explore more innovative, community-based strategies for the department to fight crime, similar to some of the tactics used in the mid- to late 1990s that were part of the so-called Boston Miracle and the gang truce effort last year credited with stemming homicides for a short time.
"Commissioner Davis has really gone above and beyond the call of duty to try and reach out," said Horace Small, executive director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, a group that trains community activists. "I think this guy's the best commissioner we've had in a long time. Any change he can make to build trust between the community and the police is important, it's real, and it has to happen."
Matt Viser of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
(Clarification: A Page One story yesterday about the shake-ups in the Police Department by Commissioner Edward F. Davis should have stated that Davis declined to specify the exact reasons why he replaced Deputy Superintendent Daniel J. Coleman as head of the homicide department.) 