Select Board confirms Deputy Chief Christine Amendola as Reading’s next Police Chief

(3-minute read)

The Reading Select Board voted unanimously on Tuesday, September 8, to confirm Deputy Chief Christine Amendola as the town’s next Chief of Police, setting up a leadership transition at the Reading Police Department next spring.

A memo sets the timeline

Town Manager Jayne Wellman brought the nomination to the Board in a September 4 memo, requesting a confirmation vote for Amendola following Chief David Clark's planned retirement in the spring of 2027. Wellman read the memo into the record, describing Amendola’s more than twenty years with the department and recommending her as exceptionally well qualified to take command. Under the plan, Amendola will begin serving as Acting Chief on Tuesday, March 18, 2027, and assume full authority as Chief on Monday, May 10, 2027, once Clark’s retirement takes effect.

Two decades with the department and a combat record

Newly confirmed Police Chief stands with Town Manager Jayne Wellman and members of the Select Board. Pictured (left-to-right): Jayne Wellman, Chris Haley, Karen Rose-Gillis, Christine Amendola, Sal Bramante, Melissa Murphy, and Karen Herrick. Photo by Taylor Gregory.

Amendola has risen through the ranks of the Reading Police Department, from Patrol Officer to Patrol Sergeant, Traffic and Safety Officer, and Support Services Lieutenant, before being named Deputy Chief in March 2021. In that role, she oversees 55 employees, including officers, dispatchers, administrators, and crossing guards, and supervises the department’s four division commanders. She also served on Reading’s accreditation team from 2012 to 2021 and holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from the American Military Institute, as well as degrees from UMass Lowell and North Shore Community College.

Her background also includes twelve years in the U.S. Army Reserve, from 1999 to 2011, during which she enlisted as a Military Police Officer at seventeen and deployed three times to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As a Staff Sergeant and Detachment First Sergeant in Afghanistan, she supervised 35 Military Police officers and 18 Military Working Dog teams. Her honors include the Bronze Star Medal for Leadership and the Combat Action Badge for combat services in Iraq, among numerous other Army commendations.

Amendola also holds statewide roles in Massachusetts policing, serving as a voting member of the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee and as a certified accreditation assessor and promotional assessment center evaluator for departments across the state. This past June, she completed the Senior Management Institute for Police, a three-week executive leadership program with training from Harvard and MIT faculty.

Board members praise the appointment

Newly confirmed Police Chief Christine Amendola celebrates with her children and Town Manager Jayne Wellman after Tuesday's vote. Photo by Taylor Gregory.

Board members and residents offered strong praise for the appointment before the vote, calling Amendola the clear choice for the role and citing support from the rank-and-file officers. Member Karen Herrick raised one note of caution, saying she would have preferred a full outside search process, though she added that Amendola likely would have risen to the top of the field regardless. Member Chris Haley pointed to the glowing recommendation from Chief Clark, who has served the department for more than thirty years, and noted that the harder work ahead will be for Wellman and the department to find Amendola’s replacement as deputy chief.

The vote and what comes next

The Board voted 5-0 to confirm Amendola. Wellman called it a strong statement of leadership for the department.

Amendola thanked Wellman and Clark for advocating for her and said she was humbled and honored to be named the next chief, adding that there is no greater pride than ensuring the safety of Reading’s residents and staff. She thanked the town staff and residents who came out to support her, and closed by noting that her children’s father is also a police chief, so they understand firsthand how much the moment means to a parent in that role.