Certifications for Lincoln police chief, Gloucester officer suspended by POST commission

The state’s police oversight commission announced Wednesday it has suspended law enforcement certifications for the Lincoln police chief and a Gloucester police officer as both men face criminal charges related to separate incidents. 

The suspension orders for Lincoln Police Chief Sean Kennedy and Gloucester Police Officer Alexander Aiello were posted on the website for the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards & Training, or POST, Commission. 

Kennedy was arrested Saturday while off-duty at his Westwood home and arraigned Monday on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a family/household member, court filings show. He is accused of throwing his wife into a wall at their home during an argument, which resulted in her requiring stitches over her eye, according to WCVB.

Kennedy was placed on paid administrative leave by Lincoln officials. Lincoln Town Administrator Timothy Higgins said in a statement Monday that “the Town takes any such allegations very seriously.”

“As with any person under arrest, the Chief is presumed innocent pending the results of the legal process,” Higgins said.

Kennedy pleaded not guilty to the charges in Dedham District Court and was released on personal recognizance. His attorney did not respond to requests for comment following his arraignment. 

Aiello, a 34-year-old patrol officer with Gloucester police, was placed on administrative leave in late April and charged last week by federal prosecutors with one count of receipt of child pornography after investigators seized his electronic devices and allegedly found he had a registered account on a dark website where users can view, download, distribute, and advertise child sexual abuse material. 

In a statement, Gloucester Police Chief Edward Conley said the department is cooperating with federal investigators and will continue to do so following Aiello’s arrest. 

“Every officer swears an oath to serve the public with integrity,” Conley said. “We hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we place tremendous importance on maintaining the trust of those we serve. The allegations being faced by this officer run counter to every value of the Gloucester Police Department.”

Aiello and Kenned are required by the POST Commission, a nine-person board created out of a police reform bill in 2020, to immediately surrender any “uniform, badge, firearm, assigned cruiser, and use-of-force instruments” to their respective departments.

Dialynn Dwyer

Dialynn Dwyer is a reporter and editor at Boston.com, covering breaking and local news across Boston and New England.

 

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