Pat Sullivan will replace Michael French as police chief next month.

French is retiring on March 31 after nine years as the top law enforcement officer in Goffstown. Sullivan will take over on April 1.

“I think I’m pretty honored right now,” Sullivan said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for the people I work with, and I look forward to continuing to do so.”

Sullivan, 48, is currently a police lieutenant, a position he has held since last year. He has been with the department since 1982. For his first two years, he was a special police officer. Then, in 1984, he became a patrol officer, a position he held until 2004, when he was promoted to patrol sergeant.

“He’s a very experienced veteran law enforcement officer who has spent his entire law enforcement career in Goffstown, an individual who has embraced the community policing concepts that have been put in place in Goffstown, who, in my opinion, will also do a very fine job as the leader of an accredited law enforcement agency,” French said.

Before joining the Police Department, Sullivan was a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1977 to 1981.

He would later spend two decades as a patrol officer, with assignments that included detective work, crime prevention and juveniles. He also was an undercover agent in the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force. In 1988 and 1998 he was named Goffstown Officer of the Year.

When he became a sergeant, Sullivan developed a Multi-Agency Drunk Driving Task Force and active shooter training program, in addition to supervising the patrol operations. As a lieutenant in the department, he is in charge of the patrol and detective divisions and oversees the field training program for new officers.

“We were impressed with his command presence and his management style,” said Selectman Scott Gross.

The town looked inside the department for a new chief. The two other candidates were Lt. Rob Browne and Capt. Michael Sullivan, Pat Sullivan’s brother, according to Gross.

He said the Board of Selectmen had a tough time choosing among the three and spent three hours deliberating on the final decision at a Monday, March 24 meeting.

“It is a true compliment to our Goffstown Police Department that we had extremely qualified, high-caliber candidates who applied for the position,” Gross said.

As chief, Sullivan will face several challenges, including a rising volume in calls for service, increasing complexity of crimes and the recruitment and retention of sworn officers as well as other staff, according to French.

The town is also getting ready for the possibility of a third severe flood. Sullivan said the Police Department has met with the Board of Selectmen, other departments and Gov. John Lynch to prepare for one. In addition, the department has reviewed its emergency plans and operations during the last two floods.

Sullivan has been married to his wife, Joyce, for 23 years and they have two children, Casey and Holly. He lives in a surrounding community.