31-Year Former Somers Police Chief Dies: ‘Pillar Of Public Service’

A Westchester town is in sorrow over the passing of its former police chief, who spent more than thirty years assisting with community protection.

Michael Driscoll, former chief of police of Somers.

According to his obituary, veteran head of the Somers Police Department and well-known member of the community, Michael W. Driscoll, Sr., passed away on Monday, July 21 at the age of 87.

Over the course of his more than fifty-year career in public service, Chief Driscoll served as chief of the Somers Police Department for thirty-one years and the New York City Police Department for twenty years. During his tenure, he was recognized for his courage, humility, and unwavering commitment to his duties.

“His calm leadership, deep sense of duty, and commitment to the people of Somers left an indelible mark on our town,” posted Robert Scorrano, the town supervisor of Somers, in a statement Thursday, July 24.

Driscoll, a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, was born in the Bronx on January 13, 1938, and attended St. Simon Stock Catholic School. In 1961, he joined the NYPD and served in the 48th Precinct. According to his obituary, he was named Patrolman of the Month in 1967 for saving a 13-year-old kid from the freezing Bronx River.

Later, he worked in the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit, namely in Truck 3, which was responsible for managing rescue and high-risk operations.

Following his retirement from the NYPD in 1981, he pursued a career in healthcare management before rejoining the Somers Police Department in 1986. In order to care for his late wife, Therese, who passed away that same year, he retired from the department in 2021 after being elevated to chief in 1990.

Driscoll, according to Scorrano, was “a pillar of public service respected, trusted, and deeply admired.”

According to his obituary, Driscoll was renowned not only for his professionalism and toughness but also for his quiet wit, his love for his family, and his compassion for those in need. He also believed in second chances, and during a standoff, he once asked an armed suspect who struggled with substance abuse, “Do you want to go to a meeting?”

According to his obituary, he also worked full-time while attending college, graduating with a cum laude degree from the New York Institute of Technology. He never went without a second job to provide for his family.

His five sons, Michael Jr., Joseph, Thomas, James, and Eugene, as well as seven grandchildren, a sister, and a large number of nieces and nephews, survive him. His sister Mary and wife Therese preceded him.

The Cargain Funeral Home, located at 418 Route 6 in Mahopac, will be open for visits on Thursday, July 31 from 3 to 7 p.m. On Friday, August 1, at 10 a.m., there will be a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph’s Church in Somers. Burial will then take place at St. Joseph’s Cemetery.

To read Driscoll’s complete obituary, click here.