CANTON — The Canton Select Board has selected Michael K. Daniels to serve as the town’s new police chief.
According to a statement from Canton Select Board Chair John McCourt, the select board voted unanimously on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, to appoint Daniels as the full-time leader of the Canton Police Department.
“Earlier this year, the Town of Canton launched an exhaustive search process to choose the next Chief of Police, and residents had the opportunity to weigh in on the characteristics they wanted to see in the Department’s next leader,” McCourt said in the statement. “Several finalists embodied these characteristics, and the Select Board chose the individual they believe has the right combination of experience and command presence.”
Daniels comes to Canton from Oxford, where he served as police chief and implemented 21st century policing policies focused on accountability, transparency, and community trust, McCourt said. He will succeed Interim Police Chief Joseph Perkins, who has led the department since June following a 35-year career with the Middleborough Police Department.
“The Town of Canton would like to thank interim Police Chief Joe Perkins, who has done an outstanding job guiding the department through this transition to find a new permanent chief,” said Canton Town Administrator Charles E. Doody.
Perkins took over after former Chief Helena Rafferty retired on June 30.
“First, we’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Joseph Perkins, who led our Police Department with professionalism and integrity as we searched for a permanent chief,” McCourt said. “The residents of Canton expect and deserve steady, competent and transparent law enforcement leadership. Chief Perkins helped to shore up the foundation while we held an exhaustive and transparent search and evaluation process. His service over the past six months has been invaluable and will ultimately help to ensure a running start for our new department leader, Chief Daniels.”
Town officials said the selection process emphasized transparency and community engagement, including a community forum held in September and a community survey designed to gather feedback from residents and stakeholders on priorities, concerns, and desired qualifications for the next chief.
Daniels brings more than 26 years of policing experience, including leadership of a 40-person department. While leading the Oxford Police Department, he removed the agency from Civil Service, implemented plans to regionalize the local communications center, reduced citizen complaints by 70%, increased community engagement, and created a Career Growth & Development Plan, McCourt said. He also positioned the department for full accreditation.
“Chief Daniels’ resume reflected exactly the sort of experience we were looking for,” said McCourt. “This candidate emerged from a field of very competent applicants, but the select board was quickly convinced that Chief Daniels was the right choice to be the next leader of the Canton Police Department.”
Prior to his tenure in Oxford, Daniels worked his way through the ranks of the Westborough Police Department, serving as patrol sergeant and later as administrative lieutenant. His responsibilities there included community engagement, public information, internal affairs, procurement strategy, animal control, and oversight of the public safety communications center.
“I’ve built my reputation on setting expectations, holding people accountable, and mentoring the next generation of leaders,” Daniels said. “Beyond my own departments, I serve on the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission Training Committee, where I help agencies across the state adopt best practices. I’ve also served as a Civil Rights Officer, helping to strengthen communication between departments and the communities they serve. I look forward to serving the residents of Canton as the police department’s new chief.”
To support the search, the town engaged Public Safety Consultants LLC to assist with the recruitment and assessment process, McCourt said. The selection process included extensive resume reviews, written exercises, oral interviews, and an executive-level assessment center.
McCourt also acknowledged Canton Police Lieutenant Charles Rae, a finalist for the position, saying the decision to pass him over was a difficult one for the select board.
“We’d all like to thank Lt. Charles Rae, whose candidacy for this position helped to make this an incredibly competitive selection process,” said Doody. “Both candidates, Lt. Rae and Chief Daniels were very well qualified, and both delivered strong interviews.”
Before assuming the role, Daniels must meet all Municipal Police Training Committee and Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training certification requirements, provide 30 days’ notice to Oxford, agree to a contract with the town, and pass a background check and pre-employment physical.
The select board is hoping to hold a swearing-in ceremony in February, pending completion of those steps. Interim Chief Perkins will remain in the role until the transition is complete.
