By George P. Hassett

If Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone takes the advice of the Somerville residents who submitted their preference for the next police chief, Major Ruben Galindo, of the Miami-Dade Police Department, will be the city’s top cop.

Out of the 14 public comments submitted to Curtatone in July, 10 residents feel Curtatone should hire Galindo for the job. Three citizens suggested he hire Acting Police Chief Robert R. Bradley and one recommended the other finalist, Capt. Anthony Holloway, of Clearwater, Fla.. Curtatone said the responses are a testimony to the transparency and effectiveness of his method of selecting a permanent chief and the remarks will be part of his final decision. 

The city has been without a permanent police chief for more than two years. During that time, the job was removed from civil service and the city now has more options when it comes to hiring the next chief. An outside recruiting firm was used to conduct a national search and then a local panel selected the best three. The mayor is expected to make his selection by the end of the summer.

Comments from the public were all submitted after a July 10 question-and-answer session in which the candidates fielded questions submitted by the public. Judging from the public’s input thus far, Galindo is in the lead.

“I was extremely impressed by Ruben Galindo,” wrote Ward 5 School Committee member Mark Niedergang in his comment. “I thought he was smart, articulate, experienced and presented himself very well. I particularly noted that he said that if the rank and file (is) unhappy and unmotivated, that’s the fault of management. It is refreshing to hear somebody take that responsibility and not blame problems on the officers. That is the kind of attitude and approach that is needed to turn (the Somerville Police Department) around.”

Niedergang, who worked with Bradley as a grant writer for the department for four years in the 1990s, said the department needs an outsider to reverse the negative conditions in the department, which he dubbed “dysfunctional.”

Galindo also received votes of confidence from candidates running for office such as mayoral hopeful Suzanne L. Bremer and alderman-at-large challenger Fred Berman. Berman said the hiring of Galindo, a Cuban immigrant fluent in Spanish, would have “important symbolic value” to immigrant youth in the city and would send a message that Somerville’s doors are open to all.

Galindo has been an officer in the Miami-Dade Police Department since 1982. He is now a major supervising 135 cops at Miami International Airport, working with a budget of $24.4 million.  In his resume, he said he introduced innovative strategies that resulted in a 35 percent drop in overall crime and a 45 percent reduction in violent crime in the area. He accomplished this, he said, by identifying the root causes of crime and creating joint investigations.

At the July 10 meeting, he emphasized a community policing approach to fighting crime. He said Somerville is perfect for the method.

‚ÄúThere are 80,000 people in four square miles here, that‚Äôs incredible. It‚Äôs ideal for community policing.  There are a lot of people in a small space,‚Äù said Galindo.

Galindo said he would make sure cops are in the schools, building relationships with the city’s youth.

Bradley, who has headed the Somerville Police Department for more than two years, has received three endorsements from citizens so far. Francis W. Farley was one of the residents who suggested Curtatone hire Bradley. He wrote that Bradley is “as near as one could hope to being the perfect candidate for this position.”

“With 38 years of experience on the police force, he has nearly as much experience as both other candidates combined. More importantly, his experience is here in Somerville. In question after question during the televised public discussion with the candidates, he demonstrated specific knowledge of and expertise related to Somerville and the challenges faced by the Police Department here. It would take years for either of the other candidates to accumulate this level of accomplishment,” Farley wrote to Curtatone.

Another respondent said he did not approve of Bradley’s appearance in a commercial opposing a ballot question that would have allowed supermarkets to sell alcohol. The commercial is the subject of a complaint filed against Bradley with the State Ethics Commission.

Holloway received just one vote of support of the 14 submitted. However, even that citizen said Galindo would be an asset to the city but is “too overqualified” and “would get bored quickly.”

Curtatone said he has also been getting informal recommendations from people on the street. He said residents have repeatedly told him how impressed they were with each candidate.

“So many people have come up to me on the street and told me that I have a tough job picking the best candidate. I’m proud to be able to select a new chief from three excellent candidates who want to be part of the positive change happening in Somerville,” he said.

Thomas P. Champion, spokesman for Curtatone, said citizens can continue to file their comments and suggestions with the mayor. Suggestions can
be emailed to the city at chiefselection@ci.somerville.ma.us.