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Police Chief Candidate Interviews & Selection Process

"Selecting the right candidate to lead Somerville’s Police Department is an immense responsibility, and one that demands a thoughtful and intentional recruitment," says Mayor Katjana Ballantyne. "Our search must result in a pool of candidates who are both professionally qualified and ready to join our efforts to pursue a community-driven approach to public safety for all." ―Mayor Katjana Ballantyne

Police Chief Interview Feedback Form

This anonymous form allows Somerville constituents to provide feedback to Mayor Ballantyne during the public Police Chief interviews on Sunday, October 10. Responses are due by 10/22 at 12:00 a.m., and participation is voluntary.
 


 

The City of Somerville is conducting a nationwide search for its next Police Chief. The process began with a public hearing and the formation of the Police Chief Selection Committee, which met over the course of several months to review candidates and select finalists to submit to Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City Council for consideration. Selecting a new police chief is a community-driven process, and the Police Chief Selection Committee is providing several opportunities for resident input as it works to find Somerville’s next police chief.

 

 

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Former SPD Chief of Police, Charles Femino, has accepted the role of Acting Chief of Police. Per Chapter 12 of the Acts of 2023 until a permanent chief is appointed. 

 

Contact Information

Selection Process

GovHR, an executive recruiting firm, met with key stakeholders and organizations and helped the selection committee compile a list of qualified applicants from a national pool earlier this year.  

Police Chief Search Committee consists of constituents, subject matter experts, local elected officials, and City staff, including: 

  • Jesse Clingan, Ward 4 City Councilor 
  • Kevin Dickinson, Somerville Constituent 
  • Magalie Joseph, Somerville Constituent 
  • Lori Segall, Somerville Constituent 
  • Anne Gill, Director of Human Resources 
  • Denise Molina Capers Esq., Director of the Department of Racial & Social Justice 
  • Michael Capasso, Lieutenant (SPD) 
  • Christine Bork, Patrol Officer (SPD) 
     

Who We're Looking For

The City is looking for a police chief who can transform and, in action, embody the concepts of procedural justice and public safety for all in policing in Somerville. The ideal candidate for this position has a proven track record in law enforcement, community engagement, and innovation. Our next police chief will embrace Somerville’s values of equity, transparency, and accountability. She or he will be a progressive leader who believes in anti-racism and has demonstrated a commitment to community-oriented service and engagement. 

Somerville’s police chief oversees 127 sworn officers and 32 civilian personnel working at the City’s three police stations. The chief will oversee all the police department’s operations, programs and initiatives, including crime analysis, detective bureau, patrol, special operations, professional standards, and traffic enforcement. 

Applications were accepted until May 19, 2023. To learn more about this position, you can view the job posting on GovHR. A brochure about the job posting is also available for a closer look into the responsibilities and expectations that come with this position.

 

Community Involvement

We need your help in choosing the next Somerville Police Chief. There are opportunities for City residents to join the discussion, and offer input. Check back here for upcoming opportunities, and materials from past sessions.  

Upcoming Meetings  

Oct. 10, 2023: Finalist Candidate Interviews

Finalist candidates will each participate in this final round of interviews, which will be public. The meeting will be open to public attendance both in-person and online and available on-demand after the session. During the session, all questions will be asked by Committee members. 

The public interview sessions will follow the format below: 

  • 10:00 a.m. | Police Chief Interview (Candidate 1): Benjamin M. Murphy 
  • 1:00 p.m. | Police Chief Interview (Candidate 2): Carmine C. Vivolo 
  • 2:30 p.m. | Police Chief Interview (Candidate 3): Din R. Jenkins Sr. 
     

How to Join or Watch 

Somerville community members are invited to attend the meeting live in-person or online. 

  • Live on GovTV: Watch the interviews on the City's GovTV Cable TV Channels: Comcast 22 and Astound (RCN) 13 and 613. Click here for the Somerville GovTV schedule. 
  • Streaming on-demand on City YouTube: Watch the interviews on demand on the CityTV's YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/somervillecitytv

Past Meetings 

 

The Candidates

The three finalists for the City of Somerville Police Chief are: 

LT Carmine Vivolo

Lt. Carmine C. Vivolo grew up in Somerville and Medford and has been a Somerville police officer for 30 years. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2006 and has supervised the narcotics and gang units, among other assignments. View more

I am originally from Somerville and grew up in the area of Somerville and Medford. I have been with the city of Somerville as a police officer for 30 years. I started my career as a police officer in January 1994 where I was assigned to the patrol division and worked as a patrol officer in the East end of Somerville.

During my career I had the opportunity to work in several units throughout the department. I am a strong supporter of training. When I started as a patrolman on the street I saw that training was important and I took my own initiative to become an instructor in several disciplines and started to train officers in my own department. I wanted to make sure my certifications along with other officers in the department were always up to date. I have completed the Master’s Degree program in criminal justice through Anna Maria College.

I was promoted to Sergeant in 2001 and Lieutenant in 2006. I worked as a supervisor in the narcotics unit, general detectives, and gang unit. I also volunteered for the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Regional Response / Special Weapons and Tactics (NEMLEC RRT/SWAT) Team. During my time in NEMLEC I advanced to the positions of Team leader, OIC of the Sniper Unit, executive officer, and acting commander. I supervised the NEMLEC Unit which consisted of 250 officers in several units to include Crowd management, ATV Unit for search and rescue, Mountain Bike Unit, K9 Unit, SWAT Team, Crisis Negotiation Unit, and Incident Management Team.

The NEMLEC RRT/SWAT team gave me the opportunity to network with over 65 cities and towns throughout the northeast along with numerous cities and towns in other states during training, competitions, special events, and critical incidents. I was also assigned to several high profile events such as the Presidential Inauguration for President Bush, President Obama, and the DNC National Convention. I also responded to the 2013 marathon bombing incident and conducted security operations during the search for the suspects. Since 2014 I am currently assigned to the training division and have assisted in the training of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training. We have trained most of our officers in the department and numerous outside agencies in the CIT Training course. In 2015 I attended the FBI National Academy which also included Crisis Negotiation Training. I also formed a crisis negotiation unit within the department which is attached to our Special Response Team.

Benjamin M. Murphy

Benjamin Murphy has served the New Britain, Conn., Police Department for 21 years before his recent retirement. Before retiring, he served as the department's deputy police chief after being promoted in 2020. View more

Benjamin Murphy served proudly for over 21 years with the New Britain CT Police Department in administrative, operational, and tactical leadership assignments. He was promoted to the rank of Deputy Police Chief in 2020, serving with distinction until his recent retirement as the city's Deputy Police Chief.

Ben’s professional credentials include successful completion of several nationally recognized executive leadership programs to include; FBI National Academy Session #278; Southern Police Institute Session #79; and the Senior Management Institute for Policing Session #83.

Ben has accumulated extensive operational, administrative, and tactical command level leadership experience during his tenure in the City of New Britain. His supervisory and command experience includes positions in all three divisions (Patrol, Criminal Investigations & Professional Standards). Additionally, his 11 years as a SWAT operator, team leader, and commander, prepared him for high tempo leadership insights, critical thinking, crisis management, and decision making.

In his former role as Deputy Chief, Ben fostered community relations by volunteering his time to various youth, culture, and faith-based groups. He started several mentoring programs within the high school and for new officers who enter the profession. He also coaches a multitude of sports and volunteers in many youth groups to include football, weightlifting, and girls lacrosse.

Ben always teaches and encourages others to pursue excellence and further their professional development. He is a certified CT POST and New Britain Police Department Academy Instructor in a number of specialized law enforcement areas. He is a valued faculty member at Dedication to Community (D2C), a national non-profit organization dedicated to teaching citizens nationwide how to break barriers between community and police. He also teaches leadership and executive insights for Team Training Associates.

Ben encourages life-long learning and holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Charter Oak State College. He is currently completing his graduate degree (M.S.) in Counter Terrorism at Nichols College (Fall, 2023).

Ben is married to his wife Kristen and they have two children, Tommy (17) and Chloe (12). Ben and his wife also teach Catechism for their church to 7th and 8th-grade children.

Din R. Jenkins Sr.

Din R. Jenkins Sr. is Deputy Chief for the Boston Housing Authority Police Department and the Public Safety Department. He also runs a training company specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion training. View more

Deputy Chief Din (pronounced “DEEN”) Rasheed Jenkins Sr. is a proven leader and a 19-year veteran of Law Enforcement. He is currently the Deputy Chief in charge of the Boston Housing Authority Police and the Public Safety Department. In this role, Din is charged with the day-to-day operations which include: implementing 21st Century policing best practices; overseeing Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) Accreditation requirements, fulfilling Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and public records requests; managing personnel retention; increasing staffing levels, developing strong community partnerships; building public trust through collaboration; and exceeding Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) mandates.

Din is the President & CEO, Chief Facilitator & Collaborator at Supply The WhyTM, a professional training and coaching company that specializes in diversity, equity, and inclusion training as well as leadership and cultural development. Supply The Why works with organizations of any size and facilitates difficult conversations about a wide range of polarizing topics such as The "Hows and Whys” behind police use of force and navigating the current state of race relations in America.

Din has delivered training and keynote addresses at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina; the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division in Newport, RI; and at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts for the Massachusetts Facilities Administrators' Association (MFAA) Convention to name just a few.

His work with Supply The Why has been featured in FORBES Magazine, Shoutout LA (part of the Los Angeles-based Voyage Group of Magazines), the newsletter of The American Negotiation Institute; Negotiate Anything Podcast (a global negotiation podcast) as well as The Brockton Enterprise and the Patriot Ledger newspapers.

Din has taught Defensive Tactics & Use of Force; Integrating Communication, Assessment & Tactics; and Multiple Interactive Learning Objective (MILO) Range 2000 simulation for the Municipal Police Training Council. In addition, he is an FBI-certified Crisis Negotiator and a former member of the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council (MetroLEC) Crisis Negotiations Team.

Din was a 2021 Black Excellence on the Hill Honoree, which was awarded by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus.

Din holds a Master of Science in Crisis and Emergency Management from Lasell University and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from UMass Boston. He is a member of the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, Alpha Phi Sigma.

 

Updates & Resources

News Releases 

Resources 

Accessibility

Closed Captioning and ASL interpretation will be available via the Zoom platform.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e. CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact Adrienne Pomeroy in advance, at 617-625-6600 x2059 or ada@somervillema.gov.

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