By David R. Smith

Filling in a few circles could go a long way towards helping the city in its search for a new police chief well suited to Somerville.

A survey is now available for residents to take as the city begins formulating its goals to replace former Police Chief Tom Pasquarello, who was hired in 2010 but resigned this past November to care for an ill family member. Charles Femino has served as acting police chief since Pasquarello’s resignation took effect Dec. 1.

The confidential 18-question survey asks residents to respond to a variety of issues using a scale that ranges from “not important” to “extremely important.” It also includes an optional section for respondents to include demographic information.

The questions ask, for example, such things as the importance of the chief’s visibility within the department, his or her participation in community events and commitment to training and career development.

A handful of the questions appear to be in direct response to a community meeting held March 5 at the East Somerville Community School to solicit input from the public on the qualities they would like to see in a new chief. The questions on the survey reflecting responses from residents at that meeting include rating the importance of a potential chief’s commitment to civil and individual liberties, experience in dealing with the youth community and relationship building.

The city has hired the Waters Consulting Group, an executive recruitment firm, to assist with developing the criteria, placing the advertising and attracting a pool of candidates to present to the nine-member Police Chief Selection Committee. The survey responses will be used by Waters to create a brochure containing the required qualities and qualifications as part of its search for applicants.

The Police Chief Search Committee will reduce the pool of applicants to somewhere between three and five candidates who will take part in a public interview, with residents and community members invited to attend and submit written questions ahead of time. The mayor will make the final selection, likely by this coming fall, which will then be presented to the Board of Aldermen for approval.

In addition to the online survey on the city’s website (www.somerville.ma.gov/chiefsurvey), hard copies are available at the schools, police department, library and City Hall. The surveys, which are available in English, Haitian Creole, Spanish and Portuguese, are due back by April 7.