By Kyle Dante

The activities of the Somerville City Council’s Appointments and Personal Matters Committee meeting held on June 1 featured a variety of promotions. Several individuals were interviewed by the Committee for a variety of potential appointments.

Ten people appeared for the City Council, seven for the Council on Aging, one for the Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change, one for the Fair Housing Commission (Somerville Housing Authority), and one for Police Lieutenant.

Police officer Kevin Shackleford is vying for the permanent role of Police Lieutenant following the retirement of the previous lieutenant.

Shackleford, a Somerville High School alumni and graduate of Western New England College, has had varied training over the last twenty years. His education includes basic crime scene investigations, DEA, SWAT, and FBI leadership, among others. He is also an instructor in taser use.

Shackleford started as a patrol officer in 2003. Awarded the 2007 Police Officer of the Year, Shackleford has assisted the Somerville community with distinction. Not only has he helped the community but also his fellow officers. Promoted to a Field Training Officer in 2008, Shackleford has trained several officers at the Somerville Police Department. He has also stepped up as the temporary lieutenant, as of March 2021, whenever the Police Chief is unavailable.

The efforts Shackleford makes extend to the community. For example, he has led elementary schools through several programs. Activities conducted with Somerville Shape Up and the School District resulted in the Safe Routes to School Program, a safe-walking program involving the entire Somerville community. Shackleford’s work has created a sense of collaboration and community between Somerville and its residents.

In the interview, members of the City Council asked Shackleford a few questions. These were the responses Shackleford provided during his interview:

City Council: Tell us what you most love about the city.

Kevin Shackleford: It is the diversity. My neighborhood is diverse. We love each other and got along. It is my home. I have always been part of the community.

CC: What is your biggest concern in the role?

Shackleford: Not much because I am comfortable doing the job, and I know whom to go to for assistance.

CC (Councilor Kelly): If you get called to a staffing event and see a non-SPD abusing their rights, how would you respond at the moment and afterward?

Shackleford: I would intervene as fast as possible, get proper documentation, and then go to the appropriate assistance.

CC (Councilor Kelly): Folks experience different traumas and react differently. When we discuss trauma, what does the care look like that you provide?

Shackleford: We identify individuals going through crisis from appropriate training. We come down to a communication level to talk to them, give the proper assistance, and de-escalate comfortably.

CC (Councilor Kelly): The city is going through a public safety redo. With several programs, for example, Kahoots. What do you see in the value of these programs?

Shackleford: A collaboration in mental health, police, and medical will provide the appropriate resources. We are responding as people, not law enforcement.

CC: (Councilor Kelly): You will be a leader upon promotion. How will you develop respect and authority in maintaining the unarmed elements of the previous questions?

Shackleford: It is important to be an advocate. The police are changing. We need to be fluid. It is important to open communication.

The interviewees and Shackleford will receive a City Council private message concerning their potential hiring. For more information on Shackleford and other references, visit somervillema.gov.