Overview

• Mayor Jon Mitchell announced Thody’s selection on June 25 without prior consultation with the police union
• Thody spent nearly 30 years with the Hartford Police Department, where his leadership produced a 31 percent drop in violent crime and earned state and national accreditation
• The appointment responds to the Boston Globe’s Spotlight series “Snitch City,” which uncovered widespread misconduct and misuse of confidential informants in New Bedford City officials engaged external firms including 21st Century Policing Solutions and Jensen Hughes to conduct comprehensive reviews and deliver reform recommendations this summer
• Union president Lorenzo Gonzalez criticized the lack of input on the hiring process and voiced concerns over past controversies from Thody’s Hartford tenure