First, Watson has, according to both patrol officers and Cambridge political officials, been at odds with his top supervisors since he became commissioner in 1996. Though Watson has been an effective manager, his style has clashed with the old guard at the department. Worse, according to some, is that Watson never developed rapport with his patrol officers, due in part to his stormy relationship with the Cambridge Police Patrol Officer's Union.

"Community policing," the department's focus on quality-of-life issues, has been the core of Watson's plan of action. But he and his senior staff have repeatedly butted heads with the patrol officer's union over the best way for it to work.

In an interview with The Crimson last spring, Watson said he was doing the best job he could--and that the results of his tenure, a low crime rate, speak for themselves.

Another reason for the funk: police headquarters itself, the building that ought to be the crown jewel of a law enforcement agency, is a bad place to work.

The space is small for a department as large as the city's. Carpeting is torn. Walls are tired. Paint is peeling.

"Naturally, if the [work environment] is depressed, it's depressing to come to work," said Toomey, who wants to see the city council approve funding for a new headquarters.

Even with these constraints, officers say they're doing the best job they can.