MARBLEHEAD – The town’s next police chief Robert Picariello told selectmen last week that he has always aspired to be a leader in any organization he has joined, and police chief was “the next logical step.”He described the chief as “the point of the spear.””He sells the department to the town,” Picariello said. “He should be available and let the public know who (he is).”In his 20 years as a member of the department Picariello said he has observed “a sort of disconnect” between police and the community and his aim is to get police out of the cars and onto the streets.He also wants to bring back the school resource officer and, if possible, the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer.”I don’t think you can overestimate how important the officer in the schools is,” he said, adding that he would ask officers on patrol to have lunch at the schools to help them get to know students.Among his management skills he counted his people skills the highest.”Almost anything can happen if you talk to people the right way,” he said. He noted that his service as a Cemetery Commissioner gave him experience in putting a budget together and defending it before the Finance Committee.Picariello said police morale is “probably low,” and planned to counteract it by taking an interest in people and offering “strong leadership.”Lt. David Millett, who drew the first interview position, said he wanted to be chief because he has observed changes in his 34 years in the department and “I want to turn some of the negatives into positives and enhance the positives.”He said he would emphasize community policing and work with the School Department to educate children about assisting the police department. He was the town’s first certified crime prevention officer and started the town’s Neighborhood Watch, Harbor Watch and Victim Witness programs, as well as handling public relations and safety issues for the department.He pointed to his degree in sociology as an aid to his understanding of people and said his ability to apply for grants would help him to bolster the police budget. He said morale has improved and there is a need to get officers back into the community.Lt. Matthew Freeman, a 17-year department member who handles administrative services, has served as an instructor at the Massachusetts State Police Academy and an undercover decoy for the North Shore Drug Task Force.The lifelong Marblehead resident told selectmen he has wanted to be Marblehead police chief “since I could walk and talk,” and his first task as chief would be to convene a public meeting to see what police services the community would like to have.He said he wanted to increase department training, restore mountain bike and foot patrols and create a “detective for the night” officer on the midnight shift, a plainclothes officer patrolling the community by car, bike or on foot. He would also like to open special assignments to non-ranking officers as a motivation to them to stay in town and improve morale.The three interviews averaged 30 minutes each and selectmen, who asked each candidate the same 12 questions, praised all three finalists for their ideas as well as their presentation.