Thomas Pasquarello’s tenure marked by decrease in crime, and increasingly open, transparent and accessible Somerville Police Department

Somerville Police Chief Thomas Pasquarello is resigning to care for a family member in need of round-the-clock care, he stated in a letter submitted to and accepted by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone on Monday, Nov. 4. His last day as chief will be Dec. 1, 2013, but he has agreed to make himself available to assist with the transition to a new Chief.

Pasquarello took charge of the Somerville Police Department in August 2010 after more than 30 years in law enforcement. Before joining the Somerville Police Department, Pasquarello served as Police Regional Director with the U.S. Department of Justice-Drug Enforcement Agency in Bangkok, Thailand, and previously served as the DEA Agent in Charge for Connecticut and Rhode Island.

During his three years as Chief of Police, the crime rate in Somerville has steadily fallen including a 32 percent decrease in violent crime this year to date. He also increased police outreach to Somerville’s immigrant community, garnering the department recognition by the U.S. Hispanic Christian Ministers for its work with the Hispanic community, and he also embraced outreach to police chiefs from nearby municipalities and universities to take a regional approach to crime prevention.

Pasquarello emphasized the importance of proactive outreach to those in need of mental health services to reduce recidivism, winning the department the National Alliance on Mental Illness 2013 Jail Diversion Award. Chief Pasquarello also assisted in facilities planning that ensured all could easily access public buildings and officials, overseeing a major renovation to police headquarters that included a new state-of-the-art training room complete with video simulations. With the help of late Somerville Police Officer Sean Collier, he oversaw the development of a new Somerville Police Department website and engagement through social media that further increased the department’s outreach and accessibility.

“Chief Pasquarello’s tenure at the Somerville Police Department is marked by an increasingly open, transparent and accessible department that reaches out and engages with all members of the community,” said Mayor Curtatone. “I sincerely thank Chief Pasquarello for his work over the past three years in further reforming the department and instilling within the police station’s walls our values of transparency and community engagement, and for working to reduce crime and increase safety for all community members. I wish him well in his future endeavors and thank him on behalf of our community.”

“I wish to thank the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen for their support throughout my tenure as Chief of Police,” said Chief Pasquarello. “It is with mixed emotions that I am forced to make the decision between the ever-increasing demands required of a chief for such a vibrant city as Somerville, and the sudden demands required for a sick family member now needing constant medical care at home. I also wish to thank all the members of the Somerville Police Department who made possible the accomplishments of the past three years.”

Mayor Curtatone will announce an interim acting chief for the Police Department shortly, who will manage the department until a new permanent chief of police is chosen. The interim acting chief will not be eligible to apply for the permanent position. The Mayor will select a new police chief in accordance with the City Charter and City Ordinance, which requires a Police Chief Selection Committee that will be promptly organized and consisting of:

• the City’s Director of Personnel
• one member of the Board of Aldermen appointed by the Board President
• the director of the City’s multicultural affairs commission
• two members of the general public appointed by the Mayor
• two members of the general public appointed by the Board President
• two sworn officers of the Somerville Police Department, one representing the patrol officers’ union and one representing the superior officers’ union, both elected to represent by those respective unions

Between three and five candidates chosen as finalists by the selection committee will take part in a public interview, with residents and community members invited to attend and submit written questions ahead of time as well.