Auburn Police Chief Todd Lemon retired on July 14 after serving in the Auburn Police Department for 32 years when Deputy Chief Robert Scott Mills stepped into his new role as Police Chief.

Chief Mills began his law enforcement career with the Norwell Police Department in 1993, serving as a patrol officer before joining the Auburn Police Department as a civil service officer in 1997. 

Shortly after, he earned a position in the Detective Bureau, where he served from 1998 to 2002. That year, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and returned to the Patrol Division. 

In addition to his patrol supervisor duties, Chief Mills held numerous roles including report review, grant writing and administration, supervision of the Communications Center (including hiring, discipline, and training), firearms licensing, and serving as the custodian of the Evidence and Property Room.

In 2013, he was selected as the Detective Unit Supervisor, transitioning his oversight to the Detective Bureau and all crime scene investigations. During his time in this role, Chief Mills was involved in several significant investigations, including homicides, child fatalities, officer-involved shootings, and the tragic murder of Auburn Police Officer Ronald Tarentino, Jr.

From 2016 to 2022, Chief Mills also managed and maintained all Auburn Police Department social media accounts, helping the department stay connected and transparent with the community.

Promoted to Provisional Lieutenant in 2022, he was soon after appointed Deputy Chief. In these roles, he assumed direct responsibility for the police budget, capital improvements, purchases, expenditures, and payroll. He successfully led the update of all department policies from their 2008 versions to current accredited standards.

Chief Mills also secured a $94,000 grant to fund the department’s Body-Worn Camera Program and oversees Internal Affairs and department accountability. He also initiated the department’s participation in the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program. Today, he continues to manage both the police and standalone communications budgets.

As part of his vision for a more efficient department, he implemented a divisional reorganization using a three-lieutenant system. This structure added multiple layers of supervision and significantly reduced supervisory and total overtime expenditures in successive years.

Chief Mills is married to his wife, Niki and they have four adult children and two grandchildren.