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Somerville committee recommends confirmations for two police promotions, highlights co-response plans
Summary
After interviews and an executive-session personnel review, the committee recommended promotion of Lieutenant Diego de Oliveira to captain and Sergeant Samir Moussaudi to lieutenant; both recommendations were unanimous among present councilors. Candidates emphasized community policing and a co-response model with clinicians and social workers.
The Somerville City Council’s confirmation committee on Feb. 2 recommended two police promotions after hearing presentations, questioning candidates and completing a closed personnel review.
Chairman Baugh opened consideration of the promotions and the police chief presented two candidates: Lieutenant Diego de Oliveira for promotion to captain and Sergeant Samir Moussaudi for promotion to lieutenant. The chief described both candidates’ years of service, prior promotions and relevant training.
"I think co response is the future of policing," Diego de Oliveira told the committee when asked about his priorities; he said the co-response pilot — pairing clinicians and social workers with officers — would sit in the Community Affairs Division if he is confirmed and that the unit’s work aims to provide follow-up referrals to reduce repeat police responses.
De Oliveira described accountability through "authentic leadership, self-awareness, leading by example" and said he would emphasize mentoring, supervision and policy compliance as an executive leader.
Samir Moussaudi, presented for lieutenant, said he would focus on supervision, consistent application of policy and shifting departmental culture toward prioritizing service over arrests. He told the panel he would take lessons from his compliance work back to patrol to improve operations.
The committee entered executive session to review confidential personnel matters for each candidate, then returned to open session and conducted roll-call votes. The motion to recommend confirmation of Diego de Oliveira (item 2) passed on a roll call with Councilor McLaughlin, Councilor Hart, Councilor Link, Councilor Ewan Kampen and Chairman Baugh voting "yes." The motion to recommend confirmation of Samir Moussaudi (item 3) passed on the same roll call.
Both items were recommended to the full city council for final confirmation. The chair noted that final confirmation occurs at the full council meeting and that no final personnel actions were completed during executive session.
