Marion Harbormaster Office to be reorganized under police department

MARION — The security of Marion’s waterways may look different following a change to the organization of the Marion Harbormaster Office prompted by legislation signed into law by former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. 

The legislation, passed in December 2020, established a “police accountability and oversight system” in the state of Massachusetts, said Marion Town Administrator Geoff Gorman. 

The system requires that police officers get three-year certifications and states that they can lose their certification if found violating policy. The legislation also required “additional requirements” for training and certification of harbormasters, said Gorman. 

According to Gorman, the academy that provides this extra training for harbormasters was closed. 

“The harbormaster duties require the ability to conduct law enforcement actions including the powers of arrest and potential use of escalated force” said Gorman, who added that the “best recourse” to ensure harbormasters follow these requirements is to reorganize the office to fall under the authority a municipality’s chief of police. 

According to Gorman, plans will be “forthcoming” following discussions with Marion Police Chief Richard Nighelli, Harbormaster Isaac Perry and the Marine Resource Commission. 

According to a motion made and passed unanimously by the Marion Select Board the Marion Harbormaster Department will “fall under the [Marion] Police Department with all harbormaster personnel reporting to [Nighelli] or his designee.”

The motion went on to state that “all roles, responsibilities, pay and benefits of harbormaster personnel will remain under active review” until the proposed changes are accepted by the Select Board, Harbormaster and Police Chief.