LYNN — Mayor Jared C. Nicholson will appoint Deputy Chief Christopher Kelly as Lynn’s next police chief. Kelly will replace Chief Christopher Reddy, who is retiring this month.

“Surreal is not even the word,” Kelly said of his ascension to the top of a department in which he has served for 29 years, starting as a patrol officer. “You get on as a young officer, and you don’t really think about this as an end result of becoming chief someday, but you know this is happening. It’s humbling, and I’m completely honored.”

Nicholson said he had the luxury of selecting from a field of three very capable finalists for the position, including Capt. Michael Kmiec and Capt. William Sharpe.

“We are fortunate to have some excellent leaders in the police department,” the mayor said. “The three finalists offered a variety of skills and ideas. In the end, the combination of Deputy Chief Kelly’s extensive experience in the department and his vision for the future of policing in Lynn made him the best candidate for the position. I look forward to working with him.”

Kelly, a lifelong Lynn resident, has worked his way up through the ranks of the department, from police officer (1997-2005) to sergeant (2005-09), lieutenant (2009-22), captain (2022-26), and deputy chief since January of this year. He has worked in operations and criminal investigations.

“I think the experience that I’ve had throughout my 30 years in the department has given me a perspective from every job that the department has, from coming on as a street officer working my way up to sergeant,” said Kelly, who attended Callahan Elementary and Breed Middle School in Lynn before graduating from St. John’s Prep in 1991. “I spent time on each shift as a supervisor and commanding officer, then I was in Internal Affairs and Public Information.”

Kelly moved to the Criminal Investigation Division as a lieutenant and took over leadership of the division when he was promoted to captain in 2022. He remained in that role until being named deputy chief in January.

“I started my career in patrol. The second half of my career has been spent in criminal investigations and as deputy chief I oversee both,” Kelly said. “Being chief will be that next step forward.”

Reddy echoed the mayor’s sentiments concerning the finalists.

“I think the city and the department were fortunate to have three extremely qualified candidates,” he said. “Over the course of his career, Deputy Chief Kelly has worked in all areas of our operation, and he is well prepared for the job. I have very strong confidence that he will be a fantastic chief for the department and the city.”

Kelly said although he has been deputy chief for only eight months, he gained valuable experience that will serve him well as chief.

“Chief Reddy has been a great role model my entire career, and in the time from January until now I learned so much about what it takes to run a police department in a very diverse city such as Lynn,” Kelly said. “That was an amazing experience that will hopefully help me in my future endeavors.”

Kelly said the goal of any police department is to maintain public trust and to be involved in the community.

“It’s not just to police the community, but to be a part of the community,” he said. “I think my goal, as Chief Reddy’s goal has been, is to immerse the department in the community, and that’s what ultimately builds public trust between the community and the police department. That’s something that has to be done on a daily basis. Every interaction we have with the public is an opportunity to build that trust. That’s the number one thing. Without trust, it’s very difficult to be an effective police department.”

As chief, Kelly will strive to make those relationships even stronger.

“I always say you don’t create relationships after the crisis happens. You build them before,” he said. “If you wait until the crisis actually happens to try to make those relationships, it’s too late in the game.”

The new chief describes his vision for the department as two-folded.

“One is internally for our officers. I want to give them all of the tools and the training necessary to be the most effective officers they can be, and really create a professional environment for them,” Kelly said. “Obviously, I want to make officer wellness a priority as well. And then the second part is, externally I really want to be visible and engaged with the community, not just myself, but our entire department in every neighborhood. I feel like listening to both the needs of our officers and the needs of the community is going to be essential to be chief.”

The use of data and technology is a critical component in modern-day police work.

“We have two civilian crime analysts, and the data that we are able to use to see where our resources are best deployed is crucial to law enforcement,” Kelly said. “I would say data and technology are going to shape the future of policing, and we need to embrace that and utilize that professionally and with accountability. That will make this a safer community.”

Kelly said he knew from a young age he wanted to be a police officer, and he majored in criminal justice at Stonehill College, graduating in 1995. He subsequently earned a master’s from Western New England University in 2003.

“I was always enamored with the thought of becoming a police officer, and that was sustained as I as I grew older. I had a calling,” he said. “One of the things I learned back in the academy from one of the instructors was you should strive to leave people better than you found them. As a police officer, you’re not always going to be able to make somebody whole, but by the end of that interaction, you should be able to say that you’ve left that person in a better spot than you found them. I always tell the new officers if you have that mindset, you will do well, and the community will really appreciate that mentality.”

Kelly has two sons on the force, Nicholas Peveri and Christopher Kelly Jr. A third son, Colby, is a college student. His wife, Debra, has been teaching in Lynn Public Schools for 30 years, while his mother, Barbara, was vice principal at Ford Elementary School, and his father, Kevin, was advertising director at the Daily Item and for the North Shore Spirit professional baseball team that played in Lynn.

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