Kevin Lynch, Bristol’s new chief of police, officially began his term here on Tuesday night with an apology to Lynn, his wife of 26 years.

“I’m sorry, but I will no longer be spending Fourth of July with you in Bonnet Shores,” he said, drawing laughs from the capacity crowd in the Colt School Auditorium. “My new boss has informed me that my days of spending the July 4th holiday basking on the beach have come to an abrupt end.”

Former Chief Josue Canario took a medical leave of absence and resigned his post back in March. He was initially replaced by retired Portsmouth second-in-command Brian Peters, who returned to his former department a few months later, after he was chosen to replace that town’s retiring chief. Captain Brian Burke, detective commander for the Bristol Police Department, then stepped in to serve as interim chief while a committee of eight local residents worked with town officials to narrow 13 candidates down to one chief.

With more than 30 years of public service in both state and local government, Kevin Lynch comes to Bristol with an exceptional background in public policy and law enforcement, most notably as the former director of the Public Utilities Commission for the State of Rhode Island and the former second in command of the Cranston Police force. Chief Lynch also serves as an adjunct professor of law in the Criminal Justice programs at both Roger Williams University and Bristol Community College.

“In the past couple of decades, I have seen great advancements in the Bristol Police Department,” said Town Administrator Steven Contente in his remarks on Tuesday night, expressing confidence that Chief Lynch will continue to guide the department on an upward trajectory. “It wasn’t easy,” said Mr. Content of the search. “We had 13 outstanding candidates, but Chief Lynch rose to the top.”

Mr. Contente also cited the Peelian principles, the ethical ideals set forth by Sir Robert Peel, a 19th-century British Home Secretary who is considered the founder of modern policing. Mr. Contente suggested that Chief Lynch’s career had embodied these principles, along with the central goal of modern policing: to develop relationships while responding to the community’s needs with training and commitment.

After Mr. Contente administered the oath of office, Chief Lynch’s daughter, Cianna, a senior at Salve Regina University, pinned the chief’s badge on his uniform.

In his remarks, Chief Lynch acknowledged the many family, friends and colleagues in the audience, notably the man he called his mentor, retired Cranston Police Chief Col. Ken Mancuso.

“I’m pleased to be walking into such an exceptional department,” Chief Lynch said. “As chief, I pledge to do my best to keep that reputation intact.”

“I pledge to make school safety and community involvement a staple of my administration.”

Chief Lynch dedicated the evening to his father-in-law, William “Bill” Santilli, who is dealing with a significant health crisis and was unable to attend the event. “My father-in-law has always been my biggest cheerleader, and I miss him here tonight,” said Chief Lynch.

Before administering the oath of office to Chief Lynch, Mr. Contente also swore in Bristol’s new town treasurer, Raquel Pellerin, who comes to the post from the Bristol Warren Regional School Department. “I’m pleased to announce that last Wednesday the council approved my appointment of Raquel Pellerin, a career public finance administrator,” said Mr. Contente. “It is a significant office for the Town of Bristol, and we thought it was appropriate to recognize Raquel in this public forum.”

Ms. Pellerin had to leave immediately following taking the oath of office to attend a school committee meeting, but in brief remarks before leaving, she said, “I’m excited for the opportunity and look forward to joining the team.”