Acting B-3 Captain Joseph Boyle has been appointed permanently to the post, Boston Police Department officials said this week. Boyle, who has been promoted to captain from lieutenant, has been serving as acting captain since November, when James Claiborne left to become deputy chief of police at Harvard University in November. The B-3 District covers parts of Dorchester and Mattapan where there were 3,000 arrests in 2008.

Boyle’s appointment was among a raft of decisions made in the last week by Police Commissioner Ed Davis. At least one drew criticism from District 7 Councillor Chuck Turner, who has emerged as a detractor of Mayor Thomas Menino’s administration over diversity issues.

Turner, in a letter to Davis this week, decried the decision to move Captain Paul Russell from his post as B-2 commander to city night commander, “the graveyard to which captains who fall from grace are sent.” The B-2 District largely covers Roxbury.

“As people ask why you would remove Captain Russell given his team’s performance, I have to tell them unfortunately that your policy is to ignore my perspective on policing in my district despite the fact that I am elected by the same people who elect the mayor and have lived and worked in the district for over forty five years,” Turner wrote.

Elaine Driscoll, a Davis spokeswoman, said the commissioner “appreciates his feedback. All personnel changes were made in the best interest of the department. Commissioner Davis is confident that newly promoted Captain John Davin has the experience and leadership skills necessary to implement the Police Commissioner’s priorities of engaging the community, reducing crime, and managing an efficient district station.”