Another story to file under; “it always comes back to Lowell.”

Former Lowell Police Chief Ed Davis, the President of Ed Davis Companies, announced yesterday that his firm has been hired to investigate back and forth allegations between Stoughton, MA Town Manager Thomas Calter and the town’s Police Chief Donna McNamara.

Both officials were placed on paid administrative leave in late July by the Stoughton Select Board, following the filing of a harassment and discrimination suit by McNamara against Calter.

The controversy stems from the case of Sandra Birchmore, in which former Stoughton PD Officer Matthew Farwell is accused of strangling Birchmore and staging it as a suicide in February 2021. The federal trial is scheduled to begin in October.

Davis says his firm’s investigation is expected to take at least two months to complete.

The former Lowell Police Superintendent began his career as an officer in 1978, eventually serving twelve years as Chief of the department. He was named Boston Police Commissioner in October of 2006 by then Mayor Tom Menino and earned national acclaim for leading the law enforcement and safety response during the Boston Marathon terror attack in April of 2013.

He retired from law enforcement in 2014 and founded Ed Davis Companies, a Boston based consulting firm specializing in physical and cyber security convergence, crisis response, risk mitigation, and strategic advisory services.

Davis is still a fixture in Lowell, often spotted about town at various restaurants and community events. He was featured last September as part of the Parker Lecture Series, leading a roundtable discussion on the ties between policing, politics, and current events.

He also was the guest on a Daily Pulse podcast to promote that appearance and discuss his storied career in law enforcement.