Westwood Appoints New Police Chief

WESTWOOD, MA — A veteran law enforcement and military leader has been selected to serve as Westwood's next police chief.

Russell O’Neill has been appointed as the town's police chief after a recruitment process and interviews with finalists. The Select Board voted July 20 to appoint the new leader.

O’Neill is a deputy superintendent with the Brookline Police Department and has more than two decades of law enforcement and military leadership experience.

In his current role, he oversees Brookline’s Community Service and Training Division and previously commanded patrol operations. He has also led work involving emergency management planning, officer training, crisis intervention, youth engagement and public information.

O’Neill has served as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant and detective lieutenant during his career in Brookline.

He also serves as a battalion commander in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, leading the 101st Engineer Battalion and its nearly 700 soldiers. His military work has included operations, logistics, emergency response planning and homeland security preparedness.

“Chief O’Neill brings an impressive combination of operational expertise, strategic leadership and a genuine commitment to public service,” Town Administrator Connor Read said in an announcement on Wednesday.

O’Neill holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police, an executive leadership program for senior law enforcement officials.

Select Board Chair Marianne LeBlanc Cummings also thanked Acting Chief Michael DiLalla for leading the department during the transition. The town did not announce O’Neill’s start date.

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