City Council to vote on interim Chief of Police this evening at special meeting

Posted By: David Fortier April 4, 2024

By David Fortier

When it meets this evening in a special meeting, the mayor will be appointing a current Deputy Chief fill the position of temporary Acting Chief of Police and the City Council will be voting to setting his salary and discussing the recruitment process for the permanent position of Chief of Police.

“As the interim chief, my role is to ensure that we continue our mission to ‘Protect and Serve the Community with Integrity and Professionalism’,” Deputy Chief Mark Morello, 45, said Wednesday morning.

Along with that his focus will be on continuing to improve the police department by fostering positive relationships with the people of Bristol and providing the 122 officers who staff the department with the guidance and tools they need to succeed.

Morello will resume responsibility for the position on Friday, when Police Chief Brian Gould officially retires. The special council meeting will be at 7 p.m. in city council chambers this evening, Thursday, April 4.

Morello is a 24-year veteran of the Bristol Police Department. Prior to being named interim he held the position of Deputy Chief of Administration. Previously, he was Deputy Chief of Patrol Operations, a lieutenant with responsibility for internal affairs and community relations, as well as lieutenant overseeing communications, specifically 911 dispatch.

The Middletown native, both a child of immigrants who came to United States as teenagers and a graduate of Xavier High School, said that he will continue to pursue several initiatives underway, including National Law Enforcement Accreditation through CALEA, maintaining staffing levels and the creation of a new police complex.

“I believe having had the opportunity to work in many different roles within this department, including commanding two different divisions (Communications & Internal Affairs/Community Relations) as a lieutenant and having worked in both Deputy Chief Roles (Operations and Administration) has provided me with a wide range of experience and knowledge,” he said.

“As the communications Lieutenant, I was the Project Manager for acquiring a new, multimillion-dollar public safety radio system.  Becoming the team commander of our regional SWAT team after many years as an operator is another accomplishment that I am proud of, as is being a graduate of the esteemed FBI National Academy.”

Morello has additional experience in the following areas:

  • SWAT Operator (Former Team Commander – Central Region E.R.T) 20 years
  • Patrol Sergeant
  • Detective
  • K9 Handler
  • Crime suppression unit
  • Accident reconstruction team
  • Field Training Officer

He holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy and government with a minor in criminal justice from Eastern Connecticut State University and is near attaining a master’s in public safety at the University of Virginia. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Quantico, Va.

He said that he is sincerely appreciative of the city entrusting him with the care of the police department during the interim.

In addition, he said, it would be an honor to be among the candidates to be considered to fill the permanent role of Chief of Police.

Correction: The original article stated that the City Council would be voting to approve a temporary Acting Chief of Police. The position is filled by a mayoral appointment. 5 April 2024

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