Leominster Police Chief Aaron Kennedy to retire amid rumored investigation and extended absence from office

Leominster’s Police Chief Aaron F. Kennedy will retire on October 1, Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella confirmed Tuesday, amid ongoing speculation about his absence from his office. Captains Ryan Malatos and John Fraher will take turns leading the department in Kennedy’s absence.

Kennedy, who was appointed as police chief in July 2020, has not been seen in his office since mid-August. News Link Live was the first to report on August 15 that – according to sources – Kennedy had been sent home by Mayor Mazzarella pending an investigation into alleged discriminatory remarks made to a firefighter. The sources indicated that Kennedy was placed on administrative leave, although the exact details of the remarks and their context remain unconfirmed.

The issue first surfaced publicly during the August 26 city council meeting when Councilor-at-Large Claire Freda asked for Mayor Mazzarella to address Kennedy’s absence.

“I almost hate to bring it up, but it is mentioned in the KP Law issues on police investigation,” Freda said during the Aug. 26 meeting. “The word is out in the community that our chief is off the job presently. I don’t want to get into any details—I don’t know them—but I think there is a lot of discussion in the community about it. Whatever the mayor can say, even if it’s just a small comment, would let people know that something is happening and that it will be resolved one way or another.”

City Council President Mark Bodanza responded by stating that addressing the matter was the mayor’s prerogative, a sentiment Freda echoed, noting that community discussions had already been ongoing before she raised the issue at the meeting.

Further concerns were voiced by three of the city’s police unions, who wrote a letter on September 11 to the mayor and city councilors, expressing frustration over the “lack of information and transparency” from City Hall regarding Kennedy’s absence. Despite repeated calls for clarification, Mazzarella has declined to comment on the situation surrounding Kennedy’s absence.

According to the City of Leominster’s budget data, Kennedy earned $232,494.56 in 2023, making him the highest-paid city employee, while Captains Malatos and Fraher earned $137,506.62 and $169,958.46, respectively. As Kennedy’s official retirement date approaches, Malatos and Fraher will continue to lead the police department interchangeably.

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