Chief of Police

The New Bedford Police Department is proud to welcome Chief Jason Thody, who officially began his role as Chief of Police on Monday, July 14.

Chief Thody brings 28 years of law enforcement experience, having retired as Chief of the Hartford Police Department. Over the course of his career, he rose through the ranks from Police Cadet to Captain before being appointed Assistant Chief in 2018 and serving the last five years as Chief.

In Hartford, Chief Thody led the department through the COVID-19 pandemic and a period of nationwide civil unrest, guiding efforts to strengthen transparency, reform policies, and modernize operations. Under his leadership, the department achieved state and national accreditation for the first time and successfully concluded a 50-year-old federal consent decree, allowing the department to operate independently of court oversight for the first time since 1973. He was also instrumental in launching the HEARTeam, a mental health-focused emergency response coalition, and oversaw the implementation of body-worn cameras citywide.

Chief Thody’s experience spans nearly every area of law enforcement, including patrol operations, crisis negotiation, accreditation, special teams, and community policing. He has been a certified law enforcement instructor since 2005 and was an early advocate of Fair and Impartial Policing training, bringing implicit bias education to Hartford in 2015.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Albertus Magnus College, a Graduate Certificate in Police Executive Leadership Development from the University of Louisville, and a Master’s Degree in Public Safety from the University of Virginia. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course, the Senior Management Institute for Police, and FBI-LEEDA’s Executive Leadership Institute.

The Chief of Police is responsible for the overall planning, administration and operation of the New Bedford Police Department. The Chief is appointed by and reports to the Mayor of the City of New Bedford.