The city is looking at options to honor the late Chelsea Police Detective Scott Conley.
Conley died at the age of 52 in March after a lengthy illness.
Early in April, District 6 Councilor Giovanni Recupero introduced a motion requesting that City Manager Fidel Maltez name the Washington overpass between County Road and Reynolds Avenue after Conley.
At the time, Recupero said it would be a good gesture to honor Conley for his service to the city.
“We commend the Council for passing this order and echo the sentiments to honor the memory of Chelsea Police Detective Scott Conley,” said Maltez. “Since this overpass is Massachusetts State property, Police Chief Keith Houghton and I have reached out to our state delegation. State Representative Judith Garcia has graciously offered to help us with this process.”
Initial research showed that the roadway recommended by Recupero has a previous memorial designation for Lt. Harold Kepnes, a Chelsea native who died in World War II during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Maltez said the city is awaiting further research from the state to determine if a second memorial designation can be accomplished on the overpass.
“As an alternative, we would like to offer the four-way intersection at Washington, Annese, Fenno, and Garfield,” stated Maltez. “This is the neighborhood where … Conley grew up and it would be very fitting.” Conley served in the United States Army between 1991-2000, and started career at the Chelsea Police Department on February 22, 1996. During Conley’s tenure, he was assigned to the Department’s first critical response team, receiving specialized training in tactical and urban operations with a focus on Gang operations.
Due to his phenomenal work, Detective Conley was assigned as a Task Force Officer with the FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force, operating out of the Boston Field Office in Chelsea, according to Houghton.
Conley traveled on numerous occasions to Central America, most notably El Salvador, as a consultant for the US Department of State.
In 2017, Conley was asked to testify in front of the US Congress, Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, as a subject matter expert on border insecurity and the rise of transnational gangs in the US. Conley earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Criminology.