Melrose Mayor Names Next Police Chief

MELROSE, MA — Melrose’s next police chief is set to be Melrose resident and current Medford Police captain Kevin Faller, Mayor Paul Brodeur announced Wednesday.

Faller will begin his role in Melrose on Dec. 1, pending City Council confirmation, to replace retiring Chief Michael Lyle, Brodeur said.

Faller said in a statement shared through Brodeur’s announcement that his current ties to Melrose were “important factors” in the decision to apply to be the city’s next chief.

“I have a stake in the community, a vested interest in the quality of life, and high expectations for the quality and delivery of services provided by City officials, including the police department,” he continued.

Faller has spent close to 30 years in law enforcement, spending his entire career to date with the Medford Police Department. He started his time in Medford as a patrol officer, before climbing through the ranks with stints as a sergeant, lieutenant, detective commander and internal affairs and professional standards commander.

Faller grew up in Medford but has lived in Melrose for the past 18 years, as noted in Brodeur’s announcement.

“Coming into this leadership role presents a unique opportunity for me to bring my own knowledge and experiences to help build upon the great work that has already been done by Chief Lyle and the men and women of the Melrose Police Department,” Faller said this week. “We have a great city, a great police department, and I am truly excited to now become a larger part of the community in which I live.”

Lyle is retiring after spending 15 years as Melrose’s police chief. Those years come as part of a larger 36-year career in Melrose.

The search for Lyle’s replacement has been ongoing through recent months, with Brodeur this week detailing the city’s search process involving an outside executive search firm and meetings with various community stakeholders.

Brodeur this week thanked those that helped in the search process.

“Kevin combines extensive public safety experience with a deep knowledge of our community, and a strong commitment to engaging all community members, empowering all police personnel, and driving forward the City’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the police department,” Brodeur said. “I look forward to welcoming Faller to the City of Melrose as our next Chief of Police.”

Lyle will officially retire on Nov. 30 prior to Faller’s scheduled start date.