A 14-year veteran of the city police department has been tapped to lead Fall River Police Department temporarily, with the resignation of Police Chief Kelly Furtado.

Deputy Chief JT Hoar will be overseeing operations, according to a statement from Mayor Paul Coogan’s office on Thursday afternoon.

The statement notes the city has taken the first steps for a statewide search for a Civil Service police chief, and “we are currently evaluating options for temporarily filling the chief’s position until a permanent Civil Service chief can be appointed.”

Furtado announced on Thursday, April 23, that she was taking leave and would retire effective June 1 after a nearly four-decade career in policing, all of it in Fall River. She worked her way up the department's ranks, beginning her career as a dispatcher.

See more at heraldnews.com.