BEACON – Beacon Police Chief Kevin Junjulas and Captain Fredericks have both announced their intentions to retire on July 7. Each has served with the department for 31 years.
Mayor Lee Kyriacou said the city will initiate a recruitment process immediately to begin a search for a new chief. That is anticipated to take several months, he said.
“I think we have an opportunity to involve the community to take stock of what is now pressing in the public and where the state is legislating, where the governor is encouraging us to go, so I think that is all a good thing,” he said. “I had been concerned. I had heard that they might retire the day I started which was January 1. I was kind of hoping they did not do that. I am glad they could at least wait a half a year and let me get my feet wet.”
As a city council member from 2002-2007, Kyriacou noted he was “at first alone calling for control of police chief, actions and budget. Eventually the unanimous council brought the U.S, Justice Department oversight of the police, demoted the then chief, settled multiple lawsuits, and helped professionalize the department.”
The Justice Department’s oversight ended four years ago. The mayor said while the Beacon Police Department “has reformed substantially, the ongoing national tragedy points out there is more to do, even locally, and we will look carefully at multiple issues.”
