Piccerelli v. Board of Selectmen of Swansea

1. There is no merit to the contention that the selectmen lacked authority to conduct their inquiry hearing of June 27,1975. Although the provisions of G. L. c. 41, § 97A (which has been accepted by the town of Swansea), entrust the supervision and immediate control of all police officers to the chief of police (Chief of Police of Westford v. Westford, 365 Mass. 526, 530 [1974]), those same provisions also charge the selectmen with the duties of (and thus the ultimate responsibility for) appointing and removing all police officers, including the chief of police (here the father of the…