Assistant Chief Eliot Isaac has been appointed interim police chief. Isaac, 49, was promoted to the rank of assistant chief a month a half ago.
Blackwell was called to City Hall at 11 a.m. when City Manager Harry Black, along with a representative from human resources, fired Blackwell.
"Mr. Blackwell has not provided the necessary leadership to ensure a cohesive operating environment within the department," Black said in a memo announcing the firing. "As such, morale is at an unprecedented low level, and the general sentiment throughout the department is that Mr. Blackwell’s leadership style has created a work environment of hostility and retaliation," the memo states.
