Fall River Police Chief Kelly Furtado said Thursday that she will retire in the coming months, amid political controversy and recent questions surrounding renewal of her contract.
Her retirement ends a 38-year tenure with the department, which culminated with her becoming the city’s first female police chief. Furtado assumed the role in October 2024, serving in an interim capacity; she was officially named chief a year ago.
The decision to leave her post was “difficult,” one made “with regret,” she said in a statement posted on social media. She also referenced recent corruption allegations against her, which she denied.
“I came up in a time when this field was overwhelmingly male dominated, and I learned early on that you earn your place through hard work, integrity, and standing your ground. I have never backed down from a challenge,” wrote Furtado. “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.”
In a statement, City Hall said Furtado left the department on Wednesday and will remain on leave until her retirement is official June 1. Deputy Chief JT Hoar will run the department in the meantime.
Furtado suggested her departure was partly a response to elected officials who have accused police leadership of “corruption” and “abuse of power,” claims she called meritless. She said the accusations threatened to damage the department’s reputation and undermine public trust.
Her retirement comes amid controversy involving a search warrant application that drew criticism from local elected officials. Police sought the warrant to identify an anonymous social media user who had allegedly posted disparaging comments regarding a Fall River police officer.
That officer happened to be Furtado’s son, who was working as an undercover detective in the department, Mayor Paul Coogan told the Globe in a phone interview Thursday.
After obtaining the warrant, Coogan said, authorities identified the person behind the social media posts: a former Fall River police officer now working in a nearby town. The Fall River Police Department decided against pursuing criminal charges against the individual, Coogan said.
Coogan said that his administration conducted a human resources investigation and has referred the matter to the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training commission, a statewide police oversight agency.
City Council President Cliff A. Ponte said in a statement that he still wanted to see an independent investigation into what unfolded on Furtado’s watch.
“This stance is not about obstructing any department; it is about safeguarding the public interest and strengthening the integrity of city governance,” he said. “It wasn’t about the Chief, never was. People can say what they want, but the principle remains -- accountability first.”
The city has contacted the state’s Civil Service Commission to conduct a search for a permanent chief, the City Hall statement said.
“The city has submitted a requisition to Civil Service to do a statewide search for a permanent replacement,” the statement said. “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 1st.”
Coogan told the Globe that he had intended to extend Furtado’s contract for two more years after it expires in May. But he suspected that the City Council would not approve the move.
“I really felt that she deserved more time. It just didn’t work out that way, because the council would not agree on a contract extension,” he said in a phone interview.
Coogan said the council’s actions to demand an independent investigation over the warrant issue likely contributed to Furtado’s decision.
“There were a number of issues swirling around that the City Council was trying to create an investigation around the warrant, and they were questioning her leadership at the police department,” he said.
Coogan said the process for finding Furtado’s replacement has started.
Lea Skene of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Omar Mohammed can be reached at omar.mohammed@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter (X) @shurufu.