Village of Pelham Police Chief Jason Pallett will retire July 15, and Lt. Danny Green, who is second in command, is to be named chief on a provisional basis.

Pallett has served as a police officer for 20 years and was promoted to chief of the Pelham department in 2018.

Under state civil service law, “most positions in government, including police chief, are filled by promotion from within,” said Village Administrator Chris Scelza. Green’s “permanent appointment is subject to passing a civil service examination,” he said.

Mayor Chance Mullen said, “Chief Pallett’s retirement is well-deserved, and we are incredibly lucky to have been the beneficiaries of his service for so long. He’s been an exceptional chief, and I’m proud of him for the leadership, commitment and integrity he’s demonstrated throughout his tenure. The job of a police chief is one of the most challenging jobs out there, and he performed his duties admirably. Speaking personally, I must admit that his departure is bittersweet for me. I’m excited to support Jason as he pursues the next chapter of his life, but I’m sad to see him go.”

Pallett oversaw the Village of Pelham department during a challenging period when it went through a state-mandated reform process required for police agencies by then Gov. Andrew Cuomo after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

In a June 18, 2020 letter to the community after Floyd’s death, Pallett said, “As Pelham Police Department’s police chief and more simply a human being, I would like to again publicly denounce the actions and inactions of the police officers that caused the tragic death of Mr. Floyd on behalf of our department. Every officer in the department was saddened and disgusted by the callous actions and inactions of the City of Minneapolis Police Officers… In recent weeks, we have all understandably seen numerous vigils, rallies, protests and unrest in our village and around the world as a culmination and response to racial discrimination and police brutality. The first of which in Pelham took place in Wolfs Lane Park, where I stood in the middle of the crowd, in my police uniform, shoulder to shoulder, with the community, next to one of my police detectives during the moments of silence.

The Village of Pelham’s reform report that resulted from the state process mandated body cameras for officers and changes in how citizens can report police misconduct, among other steps.

This year, Pallett oversaw the swearing in of what was termed the department’s most diverse class of recruits.