Cambridge Police Promotes Pauline Wells to Superintendent of Operations

The Cambridge Police Department today held a swearing-in ceremony for Pauline Wells, who was promoted to the rank of Superintendent. 

Born and raised in Cambridge, Superintendent Wells initially joined the Cambridge Police Department in 1993. Since joining the Cambridge Police Department, Wells has since served in a variety of units during her distinguished career, including Patrol Operations, Administrative Services, and Criminal Investigations. Most recently, she served as Deputy Superintendent for the Criminal Investigations Section. Prior to that, Wells made significant impacts in the Administration Services Section and was a founding member of CABHART (Cambridge, Arlington, and Belmont to form a High-Risk Assessment and Response Team), led the Department’s Peer Support Team, and spearheaded the Department’s COVID-19 efforts. Wells was promoted to Lieutenant in 2010 and Deputy Superintendent in 2017. She succeeds Superintendent Robert Lowe, who retired this week after 22 years of dedicated service to the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Police Department. 

Superintendent Wells will oversee the Operations Division, while Superintendent Frederick Cabral will remain responsible for overseeing the Support Services Division. Aside from Commissioner Elow, she is the highest-ranking woman in the history of the department.

Police Commissioner Christine Elow stated, “Superintendent Wells is highly committed to advancing CPD’s mission and values. She has been a great leader for the Department, is well regarded in the community, and will be a tremendous asset to the Operations Division.”

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