Cambridge Police Chief Reviews 2025

Police Chief Justin Todd, Cadet Evan Kozak, and Sgt. David Jones.

The guest speaker at the January 7 meeting of the Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods was Police Chief Justin Todd. CAN President Chuck McFadden said Todd had “changed the whole attitude of the police department,” especially with his ideas on community policing. Todd gave the assembled CAN members a slew of information regarding the department in 2025 and then took questions. Below is some of what he discussed.

• He would like to have a real-time crime center in Cambridge in the next couple of years. This would be a centralized, technology-driven police unit that synthesizes live, actionable data to enhance officer safety, improve situational awareness, and speed up incident response times.
• The department has conducted 36 successful drone missions since the program was implemented. One example of a drone mission is the arrest of five members of an outside group that brought dirt bikes into the city for riding illegally on the streets.
• There has been a significant drop in ShotSpotter calls since 2023. ShotSpotter, which was introduced to Cambridge in late 2022, is a gunshot detection system that includes acoustic sensors around the city to help the police identify and respond to gunfire in real time.
• CPD has a well-known problem with keeping officers because of the level of pay, but the department has recently gotten some good pay raises for personnel who most deserve it.
• While most school children “try to do the right thing,” CPD has major issues with 15 to 20 juveniles in the city. The main reason for the trouble is the lack of accountability for the kids under current law. Creative alternatives have been exhausted, so the laws must change and parents must bear some responsibility.
• The department has put out noticeably fewer press releases in the past few months because of officer injuries and leave time. This will be remedied soon.
• Thanks to a mental health and wellness grant, CPD is working with the Health Department and hopes to have a clinician in the department for eight hours per week initially. Todd would like to increase the hours eventually.
• A technology grant will allow the CPD to install new cameras around the city and also purchase license plate readers. The grant will also provide overtime pay for officers in high-crime areas.
• Todd would like for the Police Advisory Board to be more active in 2026. The Board consists of seven members: the mayor, a resident of each ward, and a resident of the city nominated by the mayor. They are responsible for advising the police department on complaints from the citizens and improvements in operations.
• Mental health calls of service were up 60 percent in 2025. The police are not the answer for homelessness or mental health issues, and Todd would like to hire someone to follow up on related incidents.
• Thefts, simple assaults, DUI offenses, and traffic citations were up in 2025. Rapes, robberies, and juvenile arrests were down.
• CPD has little contact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is concerning to Todd. The department has no involvement with ICE operations.
• As far as what the citizens can do to help CPD, doorbell camera footage of incidents is always welcome. Contact the police and they will even go out to your house to download the footage.
• The high-crime areas of Cambridge are Greenwood Avenue, Cedar Street, and Washington Street. However, CPD is currently trying to find patterns in crimes to be more focused.
• Car break-ins are a major problem in the city, and owners can help discourage thieves by keeping cars locked and valuables out of sight.
• Todd has mixed feelings about a gun buyback program, but it has been discussed as long as he has been chief.
• Police bodycams are important because of the times officers don’t even realize they have done things that are inappropriate.