Wong's Big Decision

Sometime in the next few weeks, Mayor Lisa Wong is going to announce her choice for police chief, and it will likely tell quite about how Wong is going to operate as mayor.

Of course, we heard plenty from Wong before and after the campaign, and she appears to be settling into the job. But this chief decision will be a big insight into how she is going to operate just two months into her tenure. She's not saying how she's feeling about her choice, so much of this is speculation, but isn't that what the Internet is for?

On paper, Lowell Police Supt. Robert DeMoura would appear to be her guy. He has a strong management approach, a clear plan of action, and strongly favors community policing. Fitchburg Lt. Paul Bozicas has a strong background, and would certainly make a good chief. But think of it this way -- his main argument at the public forum a couple of weeks ago was based on his history of community service. Wasn't that the argument Tom Donnelly made last year -- and Wong ran against -- in the mayor's race?

DeMoura and Bozicas are pretty evenly matched. They have different philosophies and different ways of doing things. Knowing Wong a little bit, and from what we've seen and heard from DeMoura, it would seem he'd be a better match for Wong and her management background.

However, let's throw in this: Pressure and politics say Wong should go with Bozicas. If Wong picks Bozicas, a handful of folks will grumble quietly, but Wong will make the politically safe move. If she picks DeMoura, the union will throw an absolute hissy-fit, based on its recent public squawking over Phil Kearns being knocked off the finalist list.

So, how much does that play in Wong's decision? If she picks Bozicas, she can stand up and say he's the best choice, and no one will argue otherwise. If she picks DeMoura, she can expect a ton of backlash. How much does she care about that? If she picks DeMoura, we'll know the answer is "not much."