FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI) — Fall River police will soon have their first-ever female police chief.

Captain Kelly Furtado will be sworn in next week as the department’s interim chief. She’ll be taking over for Paul Gauvin, who recently agreed to step down .

Mayor Paul Coogan said the department will have an opportunity for a fresh start following Gauvin’s departure, which came after several officers voiced frustrations with his leadership and two police unions voted no confidence in him.

With Gauvin’s contract set to expire in May, this will serve as a trial period for Furtado. She, along with members of the Fall River community, hopes the transition will bring long-overdue change.

“This is a new chapter of Fall River and I am excited to write it alongside a community I love, the department I love and the officers that I am so very proud to lead,” Furtado said on Tuesday.

“I hope she can get a grasp on other crime, homelessness, and some other drug problems that are out there,” resident Bob Cusick told 12 News.

Born and raised in Fall River, Furtado began her career in law enforcement as a police dispatcher in 1988 and was sworn in as a uniformed patrol officer in 1991.

Furtado’s roots in public safety run deep, as she is the daughter, wife and mother of Fall River police officers.

“This place is still running like 1968 when my father was hired. It’s still the same way, so we need to reinvigorate, modernize, and reorganize to maximize our manpower issue,” Furtado said, highlighting her goal to reorganize the department once she steps in as interim chief.

She said she envisions officers connecting better with the community through enhanced collaboration and teamwork within the department.

For nearly three decades, Furtado held various roles, including patrolling neighborhoods, serving as a Major Crimes detective handling serious domestic violence and child abuse cases, and addressing street-level crime and gang violence in the Special Operations Division.

Then, in 2019, she was promoted to sergeant, taking command of the School Resource Officer Division, and in 2021, she earned the rank of lieutenant, serving as a watch commander in the Uniform Division.

For the past two years, Furtado has served as the commander of Special Operations after being promoted to captain in July 2022.

Furtado will be appointed as interim chief on Tuesday, Oct. 15, during a ceremony at Government Center.

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