William Baker will be sworn in Friday as Westbrook’s new police chief and will assume the duties on Monday.
Baker is taking over for Paul McCarthy, who had been with the Westbrook Police Department for 35 years.
Baker, 52, lives in Scarborough and has extensive police chief experience in New Hampshire and Massachusetts as well as international law enforcement experience with the U.S. Department of Justice. His first job as a patrolman was in Cumberland
McCarthy retired in June, and was honored at a retirement party last Friday at Holiday Inn West. Family, friends, law enforcement colleagues and city employees all gathered for food, drinks and speeches and some ribbing aimed at the former chief.
The city presented McCarthy a rocking chair with the city seal and McCarthy’s name engraved on it, and McCarthy’s siblings brought him a fly swatter. The party was presided over by Capt. Tom Roth, Westbrook’s acting chief until Baker assumes duties.
The ceremony for Baker will take place in the meeting room to the right of the lobby at the Public Safety building at 5 p.m. He will be sworn in by City Clerk Barbara Hawkes.
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