Marblehead Officer Accused Of Carving Swastika Into Car Resigns

MARBLEHEAD, MA — The Marblehead Board of Selectmen and police chief said a police officer accused of carving a swastika into another officer's personal vehicle has resigned.

Marblehead Chief Robert Picariello said Timothy Tufts resigned from the department as a result of an investigation into the incident. Tufts had been with the department since 2016 and had been on administrative leave pending the investigation that began last month.

"I am dismayed and deeply disturbed by this incident," Picariello said in a statement. "Today, there is no room for excuses of ignorance. The swastika is a symbol of hate and genocide, and we must speak up against acts of hate and hate speech whenever and wherever we encounter it."

The Board of Selectmen released a joint statement Wednesday afternoon calling the incident "a direct contradiction of the spirit of inclusion we hold dear in our community, and a violation of the high standards to which we hold our law enforcement officers here in Marblehead."

The Board said the former officer's behavior in no way reflects the values of the department and praised Picariello for his "swift and decisive" action once he became aware of the offense last month.

Picariello said he has engaged the Anti-Defamation League of New England to set up a training program for the department and will arrange both an internal review and an outside investigation of the circumstances surrounding incident.

"I apologize to our community for this deeply disturbing and unfortunate situation," Picariello said, "and I vow to do everything and engage every resource available to ensure that this kind of incident does not repeat itself in the future."

The Board of Selectmen said it was "glad to know" of Tufts' resignation.

"Ultimately, no amount of training can counteract willful intolerance, and we are glad to know that the person responsible for this incident has resigned from the department," the Board's statement said. "We know that this individual's actions are not reflective of the character of the men and women who serve our community as police officers."