When incoming police chief Tom Pasquarello met with aldermen this week, there were no serious concerns on his credentials or qualifications.
The only dissatisfaction most aldermen seemed to have (aside from Tom Taylor’s concern that the $185,000 starting salary was too high) was Pasquarello’s hesitance to commit to living in Somerville.
Pasquarello owns a home in Cambridge’s Porter Square and he will move his family 6,000 miles from his old DEA post in Bangkok, Thailand to live there with his elderly mother.
He cited concerns about disrupting his family with another move and said he wasn’t keen on selling a home in the current real estate market. Both are valid reasons why Pasquarello should take his time in moving to Somerville.
Eventually, however, he should live in the city he polices.
In his confirmation hearing Pasquarello said, “I’m not sure living in the city makes me a better chief.”
We disagree.
Somerville is a complex city with a bright future and Pasquarello will be one of the most powerful leaders in town when he takes over the department in early December. New officers, and Pasquarello despite decades of law enforcement experience is a new Somerville police officer, have been fired for living outside the city in the past.
Pasquarello’s decisions, from criminal investigations to street closures, will affect thousands in Somerville. He should be here to experience the results with the rest of us.