In front of a crowd of her fellow police officers, Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood spoke of her upcoming departure as officials announced the date of her final day, as well as her successor’s swearing in.
“I could make a lot of money right now on a bet, and just drop the mic, get in my car and drive away, and tell Captain Guyer to pick up the cruiser at the Springfield Plaza,” she quipped after thanking those in attendance.
After 45 years with the department, Clapprood will officially retire on Tuesday, April 9, after five years as the city’s top cop. Taking her place will be Deputy Chief Lawrence Akers, who will be sworn in the following day.
The announcement itself became an event of sorts Tuesday, with dozens of Springfield PD personnel, city officials and more gathered in front of the police headquarters on Pearl Street.
“I am very satisfied with the direction we are going. I am very satisfied with our accomplishments,” she reflected. “I leave satisfied and gratified and humble that people allowed me to do what we have accomplished, believe me, in the last five years.”
Highlighting how Clapprood led the department in the wake of national protests following the death of George Floyd as well as the pandemic, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno described how the superintendent fast-tracked the city’s police bodycam program, and instituted internal reforms such as counseling programs and peer-to-peer training.
“She's put in a lot of years of dedicated service, and really cares not only about her department, but really cares about the city of Springfield, and the residents of all creeds, colors, and background,” Sarno said.
Clapprood joined the department in 1979 as a cadet, before rising to the rank of sergeant in 1987. She was promoted to lieutenant a decade later, before becoming a police captain in 2010 and deputy chief in 2017.
The mayor then picked her to take on the role of acting police commissioner two years later, following the sudden retirement of John Barbieri.
While crime in the city dropped significantly under Barbieri, multiple, high-profile police misconduct cases also occurred during his five-year tenure.
A federal investigation launched in 2018 also found members of the department’s former narcotics unit routinely violated peoples’ civil rights, including cases of excessive force.
It led to a 2022 consent decree, with the Department of Justice and city of Springfield agreeing to reforms that Clapprood would oversee.
Under federal oversight, the decree called for changes in policies and procedures including use-of-force, officer training, and internal investigations.
“Over the last five years, she’s also had to go through some trying times on this job,” said Deputy Chief Akers, who also spoke Tuesday. “She’s worked her way through DoJ investigations, mass protests, consent decree – people calling for her removal. And from it, [it] appears she came out unscathed.”
Akers has previously said he plans to put a focus on changing perceptions of the police department, and he took the opportunity to tell the assembled officers that he will need their help, and that of the community.
“The police can't do it alone - we need the community,” he said. “And we need all stakeholders, including everyday citizens, to step forward to continue to make this police department a place where people want to come and work again, and are respectful and proud of, once again.”
Clapprood turns 65 in a matter of weeks and will hit the state’s mandatory retirement age, while Akers is 64.
An exception allowing him to serve until 70 was recently passed by the Springfield City Council in the form of a home rule petition. It is now in the hands of the state legislature to pass.
