Councillor Timothy J. Toomey, one of the two councillors to oppose the plan, said the plan gives Anderson too much power.
"It was an outrage ... It makes it more political; it makes it who you know--that's how you get promoted.
Said Toomey, "it was a slap in the face to the seargents who had been there for many years."
How It Would Work
But there are conflicting reports as to how exactly the plan would affect the promotion process.
Pimentel and Walsh said they believe that most, if not all, of the new deputy superintendents will probably come from within the department's ranks.
But some police officers have their own ideas as to who Anderson should appoint.
"I'd like him to appoint all African-Americans but it won't happen, said G.E. Morrison, Jr., chair of the Cambridge African-American Police Association.
Those six deputies will be Anderson's most trusted staff as he tries to integrate the department into the community and move it towards traditional neighborhood-based patrols