Photo: WBZ NewsRadio
CANTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) —The Canton Police Department has not had a permanent chief since June. After Tuesday night, that has officially changed.
Canton’s Select Board unanimously voted to hire Michael Daniels, the current police chief in Oxford, as Canton's next police chief.
It’s been six months since former Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty retired from the position. Rafferty managed her department during the Karen Read case. She was hired in June 2022, just a few months after John O’Keefe’s body was found in January.
During Rafferty’s time as chief, Canton PD was criticized for its practices and faced heavy controversy and scrutiny under her leadership.
Rafferty’s contract was reviewed by the Canton Select Board while Read’s first trial was underway in 2024. In April 2025, on the day of opening statements in Read’s retrial, Rafferty announced her retirement.
Former Middleborough Police Chief Joseph Perkins, who retired last year, was serving as Canton’s interim police chief in place of Rafferty.
