New acting chief named in shakeup of Newton Police Department

By Deirdre Fernandes, Globe Staff

Newton Mayor Setti Warren announced a shake-up in the Police Department in an e-mail to City Hall administrators today, naming Captain Howard Mintz the acting chief.

Mintz confirmed the appointment when reached by the Globe this afternoon, but declined to comment further.

The status of police Chief Matthew Cummings was unclear. The mayor plans to release details later today, according to city spokesman Aaron Goldman.

Cummings was at the center of a controversy involving his former secretary. At the request of the Newton Police Department, a Framingham District Court magistrate last week issued a complaint against the secretary, Jeanne Sweeney Mooney, on one count of felony larceny of over $250.

Mooney has denied the charge and alleged that Cummings was retaliating against her for complaints she brought against him.

Mooney sent a letter to the city in May demanding $600,000 in damages from Newton for her pain and suffering stemming from the allegations, as well as reinstatement of her job and the firing of Cummings.

In the letter, Mooney alleged that Cummings verbally humiliated her on two occasions, and tried to intimidate her into taking on more responsibilities by suggesting that a local TV station was investigating her. The letter also states that Mooney complained that Cummings gained an 8 percent raise without following proper protocol.

The city hired an outside investigator earlier this summer to look into Mooney’s allegations against Cummings. That report was supposed to be complete this week. Goldman said the mayor has seen the report.

Deirdre Fernandes can be reached at deirdre.fernandes@globe.com.