Pawlina Not Picked For Springfield Commissioner Job

by Tim Wood

            CHATHAM --- Not being recommended for the job of police commissioner in Springfield may be the best thing that’s happened to Chatham Chief of Police Mark Pawlina recently.

            “The best thing about the process,” he said about applying for the top job in the Springfield Police Department, “was it caused me to evaluate things here in Chatham. It made me realize how many great things there are here.”

            Pawlina was one of three finalists for the Springfield position. After four hours of public interviews last Thursday, the city’s finance control board police commissioner search committee recommended that the job be offered to Acting Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, a 35-year veteran of the department.

            Even before Pawlina knew about the recommendation, however, he had informed the consultant helping the city with the search that he was withdrawing from the process.

            At 7:45 a.m. Friday morning, Pawlina said, he called the consultant and said he “no longer wanted to be part of the process.”

            He made the decision the night of the public interviews, when he realized that Fitchet, who had been publicly endorsed for the job by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, was the favorite. 

            “It was pretty clear to me that it was pretty much a done deal,” Pawlina said.  “That’s fine. I respect their desire to have an inside candidate, someone from the city.”

            However, that’s not how the situation was presented to him when he was approached to apply for the job.  He said he was told the department needed a “change agent,” someone willing to come in and remake the police force.  That was what attracted him to the job, he said. But as he got deeper into the process, he realized that was not the case.

            “The water was so muddy, it really wasn’t a good thing,” he said.

            The Springfield finance control board is set to vote on the recommendation today (Thursday).

            “I’m glad that he’ll remain in the community,” Chairman of Selectmen David Whitcomb said about Pawlina Monday.  “He’s a good fit for Chatham and I hope we can keep him.”

            Pawlina was hired in December 2005 after spending more than 20 years on the Hartford, Conn., police department, rising through the ranks to become an assistant chief. He served as acting chief shortly before coming to Chatham.  He is in the third year of a three-year contract.

            Last week Pawlina said he was approached to apply for the Springfield position, although he did not say who encouraged him to do so.  He said felt an obligation to himself and his family to investigate the opportunity, but made it clear his first priority was to Chatham.

            “This is a great town, this is a great police department,” he said Monday, a conclusion he reached after going through the process of applying for the Springfield position.

            He said he is moving forward with several priorities here, including working toward town meeting approval in May of a new $16 million police station.  “It will be a big project, but the time and effort spent on it is going to be well worth it,” he said.

            He just received approval from Town Manager William Hinchey to fill two vacant patrol officer positions, which will be advertised soon.  Continuing the process of getting the department accredited, mostly an internal administrative process, as well as working with the schools and on community policing projects, are other efforts underway.

            “There’s plenty to do here,” he said, “and I’m looking forward to it.”

3/27/08