Police Superintendent Akers speaks on goals following end of legislative session [Video]

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Pending the Governor’s signature, Springfield’s new police superintendent Larry Akers will be allowed to stay on the job past the Bay State’s mandatory retirement age of 65.

If Governor Maura Healey signs the bill passed by the House and Senate on the final day of the legislative session on Wednesday, Akers will be at the helm of Springfield Police past his birthday in December.

Superintendent Akers told us that juvenile crime and gun violence are two issues among many others he plans to hone in on during his time as superintendent, and he wants to make a difference through a combination of police work and community engagement.

Springfield Police Superintendent Larry Akers spoke out on Thursday after getting the green light from the state legislature to continue in his position past the mandatory retirement age of 65, which he will celebrate in December. It’s a bill …