GLOUCESTER, Mass. — A police chief in Massachusetts known nationally for creating an “angel program” to fight opioid addiction has been suspended from his post indefinitely, according to a statement released Tuesday.

Gloucester police Chief Leonard Campanello is on paid leave pending an undefined internal investigation urged by Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. The announcement came hours after the mayor and Campanello confirmed that the chief had abruptly sought and was granted up to two weeks of personal leave in order to untangle aspects of the angel program — which is supported by a nonprofit Campanello created called Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative or PAARI — from the city and its police department.

Gloucester resident John Rosenthal, who co-founded PAARI with Campanello, announced in a statement that the chief would temporarily bow out of his role with PAARI. 

Campanello’s lawyer said Wednesday morning that the suspension was unrelated to the chief’s police duties or the angel program, but would not provide any other details.

The angel program allows opioid addicts to seek help with police, who will forgo criminal charges for anyone who walks in the door willing to get treatment. It was hailed nationally for its compassionate approach to addiction treatment and sparked similar programs in other police departments around the country.

In June, the program celebrated its first anniversary. At the time, more than 450 addicts had been treated in Gloucester alone, and Campanello estimated that 2,000 addicts had received help from similar programs around the country.

The mayor announced Campanello’s leave Tuesday after a meeting with all Gloucester City Council members in an executive session. The mayor said there would be no further comment.

On Tuesday night, Campanello said he was “unconcerned” about the investigation.

“I think being in a public position and being thrust into the spotlight in these last 15 months, you have to expect this sort of thing,” he said, referring to the timeline of the angel program. “You have to expect it will get the attention not only of supporters, but also of people who want to strike it down and maybe take it personally.”

Campanello said Tuesday afternoon, before the mayor’s announcement, that it was important to move quickly to restructure aspects of PAARI and allow him to focus more solely on his role as Gloucester’s chief.

“This is something we have talked about for some time,” said Campanello, who added that he has been working on vacation to set up a national council of police chiefs to run elements of the PAARI and the angel program. The project, launched in Gloucester in June 2015, draws its name from the volunteer “angels” who help addicts into recovery.

“It’s become a national program, and we have to nationalize it and take some of the pressure for running it off Gloucester,” Campanello said in a phone interview. “(PAARI and the angel program) have gotten so big. We frankly had no idea it would get this big. But we have to decentralize it so the burden on running it is not all centralized here.”

He said he requested the time off because the weeks after Labor Day are generally quieter times to be able to speak and meet with other chiefs around the country. The angel program has been modeled in various forms by more than 150 other police departments nationwide, and has ties to more than 300 addiction and treatment recovery centers.

PAARI last month opened an office in Brown’s Mall across Main Street from the Gloucester police station, and has hired its first executive director in Allie Hunter McDade, 32, of Boston. PAARI was founded by Campanello and Gloucester resident John Rosenthal as a vehicle for funding and coordinating the angel program on a regional and now national level.

Lamont writes for the Gloucester, Massachusetts Times.

---

Mayor’s statement on chief’s leave

Effective immediately, today September 13, 2016, I have notified Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello that he has been placed on paid administrative leave until further notice and upon completion of an internal investigation. We will have no further comment at this time. 

Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken

City of Gloucester, Massachusetts