William Castro, provisional police chief in Lawrence, Massachusetts, has been placed on paid administrative leave, Mayor Brian DePena announced Friday morning.
DePena said that effective immediately, Lt. Melix Bonilla has been placed in charge of the police department as the provisional police chief.
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The order of suspension from the Massachusetts POST Commission said Castro "engaged in a motor-vehicle pursuit in violation of the policies of the Lawrence Police Department," was untruthful in his written report on that pursuit and failed to independently investigate whether there was a policy violation.
It also said "credible reports" have been received calling into question Castro's hiring and certification practices concerning some candidates for employments as officers with the Lawrence Police Department.
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According to the Eagle-Tribune, Castro was named acting police chief in October of 2023, taking over for Capt. Michael McCarthy, who had been acting chief since January 2023 when DePena placed former Police Chief Roy Vasque on paid leave amid an investigation by an outside consultant.
Vasque retired in June of 2023 and reached a nearly $800,000 settlement with the city.
DePena changed Castro's status from acting to provisional police chief in January, The Eagle-Tribune said. Castro had said previously that he had applied for the police chief's job on a permanent basis, although the city was conducting a national search for the position.
Castro, a political ally of DePena, worked for over two decades for the Essex County Sheriff's Department and was a senior correctional officer when he resigned in February of 2023. Before being named acting police chief, he served as DePena's chief of staff.
