Somerville Police Chief Resigns

Somerville Police Chief Thomas Pasquarello will resign from the department, and his last day will be on Dec. 1, according to an announcement from the city of Somerville.

He's resigning to care for a family member who needs around-the-clock care, the announcement says.

It says Pasquarello submitted his letter of resignation to Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone on Monday.

The announcement says the city will promptly form a police chief selection committee to choose a new head of the police department.

Curtatone will name an interim acting police chief shortly, and that person will not be eligible to apply for the permanent position, the announcement says.

The police chief selection committee will include the city's director of personnel, a member of the Board of Aldermen, the director of the city's multicultural affairs commission, two members of the general public named by the mayor, two members of the general public named by the president of the Board of Aldermen, and two sworn officers of the Somerville Police Department.

The selection committee will choose between three and five finalists to replace Pasquarello, and those candidates will participate in public interviews, the announcement says.

Pasquarello took over as chief of the Somerville Police Department in August of 2010. He previously worked as police regional director with the Drug Enforcement Agency in Bangkok and as DEA agent-in-charge for Connecticut and Rhode Island, according to the announcement.

It says the crime rate in Somerville fell during Pasquarello's three-year tenure, including a 32 percent decrease in violent crime.

After Dec. 1, Pasquarello will make himself available to help make the transition to the new chief, the announcement says.