Newton’s Public Safety and Transportation Committee appointed Timothy Cohoon, former chief of the Braintree Police Department, as Newton’s next police chief on Wednesday. 

“An accomplished and experienced leader, Chief Cohoon believes being an effective leader requires vision, high standards, and a strong team,” Newton Mayor Marc Laredo wrote in a letter to the City Council. 

With nearly three decades in law enforcement, Cohoon has served the Braintree Police Department since 1996 and assumed the role of chief in 2023. He helped create the Braintree Police Crisis Intervention Team, was a founding member of the South Shore Peer Support/Critical Incident Stress Management Team, expanded the Drug Control Unit, and formed the department’s first formal training division, according to Laredo. 

On Sept. 11, 2025, former Police Chief George McMains announced that he was retiring after 29 years of serving on the Newton Police Department. Following a recommendation by Newton’s Police Chief Selection Committee, former Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Laredo jointly selected Cohoon. 

“Importantly, he knows that community trust is essential and that police departments, stakeholders, and residents co-produce public safety,” Laredo wrote. 

Cohoon asserted at the meeting that for him, public confidence is crucial. 

“You can’t do this job without the consent of the people that you are policing with and for, right?” said Cohoon. “So legitimacy and public trust is paramount, and it’s earned through the way you conduct yourselves on the street. It’s by consent, not coercion. You work collaboratively with residents.” 

Cohoon answered various questions from the committee regarding immigration enforcement, workforce shortages, policing philosophy, public safety, and other emerging challenges facing the department. 

Regarding concerns about ICE, Cohoon acknowledged the unparalleled nature of current events. 

“This is probably one of the most complex issues I have ever seen that’s confronting us right now, and it’s evolving,” Cohoon said. “I wish I could turn to the best practices around the country right now. There are none—this is unprecedented.”

Newton has been a Welcoming City since 2017, meaning it maintains a long-standing ordinance that limits local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. As federal immigration actions unfold nationwide, councilors expressed concern about unease among Newton residents. 

“Many residents are experiencing high levels of fear and uncertainty as they watch federal enforcement actions unfolding across the country,” Ward 1 Councilor Maria Greenberg said. “There are widespread concerns about the use of unlawful, excessive, and lethal force, violations of civil rights, and the detainment of innocent people, including children.” 

In response, Cohoon articulated that local police are constrained by constitutional and legal boundaries when federal agencies are involved, but will remain committed to their responsibilities of public safety and de-escalation. 

“I think there needs to be an understanding that there are structural separations between the federal and local jurisdictions, and those can be dramatic at times,” Cohoon said.

He explained that Newton police can assist in keeping the peace but cannot interfere with valid federal warrants or operations.

“The duty to intervene is fact-specific and narrowly defined, and it requires three things,” Cohoon said. “First, the officer must have personally witnessed the incident or otherwise have reason to know it is occurring. Second, they must see that clearly excessive force is being used. And third, they must have a realistic opportunity to intervene.”

Cohoon warned against creating expectations that local officers can stop federal actions outright. Additionally, he recognized the foremost duty of the local police is to protect the Newton public. 

“By policy and by case law, our job is public safety,” Cohoon said. “Our job is to keep the peace.”

Councilors later turned to staffing shortages and recruitment challenges facing police departments across the state. Ward 4 Councilor Randy Block asked Cohoon to reflect on workforce trends and how Newton can remain competitive.

“Today, the workforce is very transient,” Cohoon said. “Officers will leave if the culture isn’t right.”

Cohoon described the importance of investing in officers through training, equipment, wellness, and work-life balance to retain staff. He also emphasized leadership as a decisive factor in retention.

“People don’t leave jobs,” Cohoon said. “They leave supervisors, or they leave leadership.”

Traffic control and the use of technology were also topics of discussion. Cohoon highlighted the potential of tools such as license plate readers and traffic safety cameras to assist law enforcement in preventing crime and managing road safety. 

“We will dedicate the necessary resources to ensure that all components—traffic engineering, traffic advocacy, the city council, and the traffic bureau—are available and working together as a fully integrated, multi-functional team,” Cohoon said. 

City Council President John Oliver expressed optimism that Cohoon’s leadership will strengthen Newton’s police department and foster positive relationships with both residents and the broader community. 

“For what it’s worth, thank you for your candor in all of the answers,” Oliver said. “I really appreciate, not only the answers, but your commentary where you don’t have the specific answer. I have faith that you’ll go and get that answer. I’m looking forward to that.”

The Public Safety and Transportation Committee ultimately voted to approve Cohoon’s appointment as chief of the Newton Police Department, with one abstention from Ward 6 Councilor-at-Large Sean Roche, who said that because of the role’s close partnership with the mayor, he wanted more clarity on Cohoon’s positions on “some important issues.”