Former police chief resigns from post in South Portland

tewksbury » Former Tewksbury Chief of Police Timothy Sheehan submitted his resignation from his role as chief of South Portland’s department two weeks ago, 14 months after taking over the position. His last day will be April 12.

“Some things have changed in my personnel life regarding my immediate family, and an opportunity in the private sector came up suddenly that will pull me back to Massachusetts,” Sheehan wrote in a letter to City Manager Scott Morelli. “It was a terribly difficult decision for many reasons, most notably all of the professional men and women that make up the South Portland Police Department.”

Before leaving for Maine, Sheehan served the Tewksbury Police Department for over 30 years, including a decade as chief.

In his letter to Morelli, sent on March 12, Sheehan said that he was not seeking employment elsewhere when the opportunity and family circumstances arose, though he did not provide any further details.

“I have greatly enjoyed every single moment I have served as your Chief, and I will miss the community, city employees, and all of my personnel immensely,” Sheehan wrote. “It was my goal as your police chief to ensure the South Portland Police Department and its personnel, were the most supported, best trained, best equipped and best-led police agency in the nation. Our department has done phenomenal work throughout the most difficult year I have seen law enforcement experience in my 34 years of service to our profession.”

Sheehan was honored for helping to respond to the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, and by the Department of Mental Health in 2019 for his heavy involvement in collaborative efforts aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic.

He did not respond to