With formation of Police Chief Selection Committee, nationwide search commences in February. Community input will be solicited as part of transparent process.

SOMERVILLE – The City of Somerville
has begun its nationwide search for its next Chief of Police, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced this week, beginning with a public hearing last week and the recent formation of the Police Chief Selection Committee. Kicking off the process with its first organizational meeting, the Committee will meet over the course of several months to review candidates and select finalists to submit to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen for consideration.

The Selection Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 11, at 6 p.m. in the Academy Room at the Public Safety Building to discuss the timeline for the search, the public hearing held last week and the public survey that will be available on the City’s website and in hard copy at locations throughout the city. The committee’s meetings are open to the public.

Chief Thomas Pasquarello announced in late 2013 that he would step down in order to care for a family member. Charlie Femino has been serving as Acting Chief of Police since Dec. 1, 2013. The City underwent similar nationwide searches in 2007 and in 2010.

Working with executive recruiting firm Waters Consulting Group, Inc., the selection panel will compile a list of qualified candidates from a national applicant pool. The panel will be chaired by William Roche, Director of Personnel for the City of Somerville, and also includes the following member:

• Alderman at Large John Connolly;
• Sonja Darai, Director of the Somerville Multicultural Affairs Commission (per City ordinance);
• Dorothy Kelly Gay, resident (BOA Appointee);
• Adrianna Lafaille, resident (BOA Appointee);
• Sassiane Estany, Teen Empowerment Associate Program Coordinator (Mayor Appointee);
• Effrain Mendoza, resident (Mayor Appointee);
• Mike Kiely, Somerville Police Department, Somerville Police Patrolmen Association
• Dan Cotter, Somerville Police Department, Somerville Police Superior Officers’ Association

In addition to the selection panel, Mayor Curtatone will also seek input from key stakeholders throughout the community. The Waters Consulting Group representative Chuck Rohr met with key stakeholder groups and organizations across Somerville last week after the public hearing to solicit further feedback on what those organizations are seeking in a new police chief. Community members can provide feedback through the online survey that will be posted to the City website, rating the importance of various police chief candidate attributes. Paper copies of the survey will also be available at the Somerville Police Department, City Hall Welcome Desk, all Somerville Public Schools, and the Central Library and its East and West Branches. The collected community feedback will then be provided to the Police Chief Selection Committee and used to draft the brochure that will advertise the open police chief position.

Police Chief Finalists will be presented to the community for a citywide interview later this year. Mayor Curtatone is expected to make a final recommendation to the Board of Aldermen in fall 2014.

For more information on the Police Chief Selection Committee and process, please email ChiefSearch@somervillema.gov.