Holyoke’s new police chief, Brian Keenan, has been sworn-in, nearly half-a-year after his predecessor retired.
Officers, residents and officials filled the upstairs ballroom in Holyoke City Hall Tuesday as the city welcomed its new police chief.
Brian Keenan was previously a longtime member of the Springfield Police Department before accepting the role as Holyoke’s top cop after his final public interview in December.
Following 27 years in Springfield, including several as the head of the department’s Firearms Investigation Unit, he applied for his current role months after the retirement of former Holyoke Police Chief, David Pratt in July 2024. About six months later, Keenan was taking the oath of office.
Keenan accepted an offer from Mayor Joshua Garcia in December, following a monthslong search to replace Pratt.
Originally a native of North Weymouth, Keenan studied criminal justice at Westfield State University. After three years as a corrections officer with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, he joined the Springfield Police Department as a patrol officer and rose through the ranks.
Attending Tuesday's ceremony, Springfield Police Superintendent Larry Akers said Keenan's departure was a loss for Springfield and a significant gain for its neighbor up the Connecticut River.
“…not only the police department, but for the city as a whole, and it's certainly a loss for my department and the city of Springfield,” he told reporters. “Brian’s a really good officer, and he did a lot of good things for my department, and we're going to miss him there.”
Compared to Springfield, he’ll now be working in a significantly smaller city, both in size and population – one that’s also seen its fair share of drug and violent crime, among other issues, according to state data.
There’s also a number of situations that need to be addressed at Holyoke PD, according to a 2023 audit commissioned by the mayor, who referenced it during the ceremony as well as Keenan’s dissection of it.
“This audit, which I heard sits on his bedside table, identifies outdated policies, inadequate training, excessive overtime, burnout, turnover and reputational risks,” Garcia said while at the podium. “It's a tough read, but it offers a clear roadmap to improvement and best practices. Chief Keenan’s extensive experience will be invaluable in addressing these challenges and I pledge my full support out of the mayor's office as he takes on this significant task.”
Keenan has signaled he largely agrees with the changes the firm behind the audit recommended.
They include better vehicle and equipment maintenance oversight and officer training, as well as addressing the fact that only 64 percent of the city's designated patrol personnel "actually perform patrol duties" — the rest being assigned to ancillary duties, according to the report.
Department officials tell WAMC Holyoke, a city of just over 37,000 people, has at least 85 patrol officers and 27 supervisors, funded by a budget of about $14.4 million.
Keenan has also indicated he plans to have officers more embedded in the community, while addressing hotspots and problem areas in the city, as well as various property owners.
“Irresponsible landlords will be held accountable for their properties - we will not tolerate landlords who place profits ahead of the conditions of the neighbors we serve,” Keenan said. “We will promote neighborhood stability, clean, safe parks, open spaces, safe traffic patterns: all of which will greatly improve the quality of life for our residents. By taking these steps, we can make sure that the pride we feel in this city is reflected as an excellent quality of life for every resident in every neighborhood - we can do this.”
Pledging transparency and community engagement, he added his police department would prioritize quality of life issues in the city as well, including street-level drug dealing, speeding and other issues that also came up during the finalist interview.
