Fall River Police Chief Retires, Blames City Leadership

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — Fall River’s first female police chief has announced her retirement, saying she does so “with regret” and blaming unnamed city leaders as the reason why.

Why the Fall River Police Chief Says She’s Stepping Down

“When power is used not to govern, but to obstruct, when threats are made to halt city business or interfere with decisions that directly impact public safety, it stops being about oversight,” Chief Kelly A. Furtado posted on the department’s official Facebook page this morning. “It becomes about control. It becomes about ego. And it comes at the expense of the people we are all supposed to serve.”

“I will say this plainly: when public safety is used as leverage because someone is not getting their way, that is not leadership. That is not governance. And it is not acceptable,” she wrote.

Furtado’s retirement is effective June 1 and she will remain on leave until then. Deputy Chief JT Hoar will “oversee police operations” until a new chief is selected, according to a release from the City of Fall River.

Ongoing Tensions With Fall River City Council

Furtado, who has been with the Fall River Police Department for over 38 years, became the permanent police chief in May 2025 on Mayor Paul Coogan’s third attempt to get her appointment approved by the Fall River City Council. According to the Herald News, the council maintained that it should have an active role in the hiring of the police chief, and that it should be done through a screening committee to ensure fairness.

The night the council finally approved her appointment, it also voted to have future police chief hirings done through the Civil Service process.

“The City has submitted a requisition to Civil Service to do a statewide search for a permanent Civil Service chief,” the City stated in the release. “We are currently evaluating options for temporarily filling the chief’s position until a permanent Civil Service chief can be appointed and we will have a plan in place prior to June 1.”

Mayor Paul Coogan had just extended Furtado’s contract in March, but did so without involving the city council. Councilors, meanwhile, feel the council should have a role in approving contract extensions.

Controversy Surrounding Department Investigation

In addition, the city council also launched an investigation into the FRPD after the department obtained a search warrant to find out who was behind a fake Facebook profile that was critical of the department, and also identified an officer as an undercover member of a federal task force. That officer happened to be Furtado’s son.

In her lengthy post announcing her retirement, Furtado called it “difficult.”

“This is not a decision I make lightly. And I will be honest, it is one I make with regret,” she said. “I have never backed down from a challenge. And I have never walked away from a fight when it mattered. But leadership is not just about standing your ground. It is about knowing when the fight itself begins to take a toll on the very people you are trying to protect.”

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“What we are seeing right now is not healthy for this department or this city. When elected officials use words like ‘corruption’ and ‘abuse of power’ without foundation, and direct those claims at the leadership of this department, they are not just targeting one person, they are eroding the public’s trust in every officer who wears this badge,” Furtado wrote. “That damage does not fall on me alone. It falls on the entire Fall River Police Department. And that has real consequences.”

“When power is used not to govern, but to obstruct, when threats are made to halt city business or interfere with decisions that directly impact public safety, it stops being about oversight,” she wrote. “It becomes about control. It becomes about ego. And it comes at the expense of the people we are all supposed to serve.”

Mayor Coogan Defends Furtado’s Leadership

Coogan has remained supportive of Furtado throughout the city council’s challenges, and thanked her for her service in the City release.

“I want to thank Chief Furtado for her 38 years of service to the City of Fall River, and especially for the last 18 months serving as chief,” Mayor Paul Coogan said.

Coogan pointed out that under Furtado’s brief leadership, she restructured the department’s specialized units “which allowed for the ability to solve homicide more expeditiously, the seizure of numerous illegal firearms and the removal of significant quantities of drugs from our streets.”

He also spoke of her reestablishing relationships with local, state and federal partners, and starting a Peer Support Group to help officers with mental health challenges.

Staffing Changes During Furtado’s Tenure

Coogan also noted that as chief, Furtado hired 46 new police officers, including lateral transfers, and facilitated the return of six officers that had previously left the department. Meanwhile, Fall River Reporter recently reported that 33 officers had retired or resigned during Furtado’s tenure as chief.