SALEM — Police Deputy Chief William Ganley has been placed on indefinite paid administrative leave by the town.
Interim Town Manager Henry LaBranche said he took the action late Friday afternoon. He will remain on leave pending an investigation by LaBranche and Chief Paul T. Donovan.
Ganley did not return messages left for him yesterday. Ganley, whose father John P. Ganley was police chief in Salem, joined the department as a full-time officer in 1988. He was a sergeant, lieutenant and captain before being promoted to deputy chief in 2007. The deputy chief position is the second in command in the department.
LaBranche said the leave would be "indefinite until such time as I complete my review."
Ganley's contract with the town is controlled by the town manager, he said.
LaBranche would not say the nature of the investigation he was conducting, saying the matter would go through an administrative hearing process.
"I need to protect his rights both under his individual contract with the town," including due process guarantees, and as a member of the Salem Professional Administrators union, LaBranche said.
Board of Selectman Chairman Arthur Barnes said the board would hold a nonpublic meeting Tuesday evening.
"Usually we wouldn't have a meeting about a topic like this while it's going down, but because of the notoriety that this particular one is attracting ... I think it's prudent that the manager update the rest of the board," he said.
Barnes said LaBranche's action followed an administrative hearing Friday. He said he could not comment further on the situation while it was still in the hearing and investigative stage.
While department heads give monthly reports to the town manager that can include information about employees, selectmen do not see the portions having to do with personnel matters, Barnes said.
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