Former Acting Chief Mike Cabral passed leadership of the Somerville Police Department to Thomas Pasquerello, the fifth chief in five years.

Five police chiefs in five years

By George P. Hassett

The leadership of the Somerville Police Department officially changed hands Monday when Mike Cabral was replaced by Thomas Pasquarello as acting chief of the department. It is another change in leadership in the city’s police department as four chiefs have served since Mayor Joseph Curtatone negotiated a buyout of former chief George McLean in March 2005.

On Thursday, aldermen honored Cabral for his tenure during a tumultuous year in the department. Between June and November: 24 police vehicles were lost to a flood at the public safety building, three officers were stabbed in an encounter that left a 33-year-old Somerville woman dead and a decorated detective was shot in another fatal encounter that left a 21-year-old Somerville man dead. “It was a year that tested our department beyond the call of duty,” Curtatone said.

“You went through more in a short stint than most chiefs do in a lifetime,” said Alderman-at-Large Bill White at Thursday’s meeting.

After Curtatone chose Pasquarello for the permanent job, many in Somerville familiar with Cabral, a 23-year veteran in the department and Somerville High School graduate, expressed displeasure at city events and in online forums. “The selection of the new chief didn’t go the way a lot of us wanted it to go,” said Ward One Alderman Bill Roche. “I know I personally wanted it to go another way.”

In comments at the meeting Cabral said he hoped to return to the chief’s job one day. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I have no intention of applying to be chief of police anywhere. I’m going to be here the rest of my career. I hope someday I’ll get the opportunity to serve as your police chief.”

Beside Cabral, here are four more Somerville police chiefs since 2005, At top Robert R. Bradley and George McLean. Below, Anthony Holloway and Acting Chiief Tom Pasquarello.

The string of chiefs began with McLean’s buyout followed by Robert Bradley’s acting tenure. Bradley, like Cabral, was a hometown candidate passed over for an outside-the-department candidate. Anthony Holloway was selected by Curtatone over Bradley but left the department to return to his hometown of Clearwater, Florida and become chief.

Cabral cited Bradley as a mentor at Thursday’s meeting. Their circumstances differ in that Bradley resigned before Holloway took over and Cabral will return to either a deputy chief or captain position to work under Pasquarello’s command.

Cabral said he has communicated with Pasquarello four to five times a week since Pasquarello was selected and has no problem with his new role. “I look forward to working with Tom Pasquarello. This department is looking forward to his leadership. As difficult as it is for me to say we are looking forward to it. We are professionals,” Cabral said.

Pasquarello is a 30-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Agency. His selection and $185,000 a year salary must still be approved by aldermen before he takes over permanently.