Mayor’s reversal allows complimentary car for new top cop

By George P. Hassett

New Police Chief Anthony Holloway is eager to hit the streets and learn more about Somerville. The question is, what will he be driving when he does?

Holloway, who took the reins of the Somerville Police Department earlier this month, has told city officials he wants to drive the same car other officers in the department use – a Crown Victoria – and in the contract he agreed to with the city he is allowed complimentary use of just that – a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria.

However, some aldermen want Holloway behind the wheel of a more environmentally friendly, hybrid vehicle. At Thursday‚Äôs board meeting aldermen tried to persuade Michael Lambert, the mayor‚Äôs chief of staff, not to purchase the $27,000 ‚Äútricked-out‚Äù ‚Äì in the words of Assistant City Solicitor Robert Collins — Crown Victoria.

“Everyone knows at some point we have to turn to hybrid vehicles [in all city departments],” said Alderman-at-Large Bruce Desmond.

“[Holloway’s car] should be a hybrid,” said Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz. “If we don’t start changing the fleet over now, when? I think we need to do this now.”

In his term as board president last year, Ward 7 Alderman Robert C. Trane spearheaded an effort along with Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone to make the city more eco-friendly by replacing four aging cars in the fire department with new hybrid vehicles and encouraging the city’s only cab company, Green Cab, to buy two new hybrid cabs. The ultimate goal, he said, is to one day have the city’s entire fleet of vehicles be hybrids.

The issue was not settled and aldermen did not take a vote to buy the car. Instead it was sent to the Committee on Finance.

Until six months ago Holloway’s car would not have been an issue. Upon taking office in 2004 Curtatone announced he was taking away complimentary cars of city department heads and, a few months later, sold them at auction for $44,600. He said the money could be used to save the job of a city teacher, firefighter or police officer.

The policy remained until six months ago when Curtatone reversed himself and allowed Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher to use a city vehicle to drive to and from his home.

“There was a change in policy,” said Lambert. “But there is no intention to extend that beyond public safety.”

Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero and Alderman-at-Large John M. Connolly applauded Curtatone’s reversal.
“I thought the mayor was mistaken four years ago when he took vehicles away from the fire and police chiefs,” Pero said.

“I’m delighted the mayor finally came around to the fact that our public safety officials need these vehicles so they can respond to emergencies as soon as possible,” Connolly said.

Not all aldermen were as delighted as Connolly though. Ward 1 Alderman William Roche said Curtatone himself does not have a complimentary vehicle but can always be found at the major fire and crime scenes.

He seems to be doing alright without a city-owned car,” Roche said. “And I don’t think we’ll be seeing the new chief [Holloway] flying through the street at 90 miles per hour, hanging out the window with a gun in hand involved in a shootout. The administration should do some more homework on what exactly is needed.”

Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston said Holloway should get what is outlined in the contract the city agreed to – and aldermen approved.

“We all saw the contract. Maybe we weren’t all looking at it close enough but we made a commitment with the chief that he would get a vehicle,” she said.