Retired Trumbull cop remembered as ‘friendliest guy ever’
TRUMBULL — When the Trumbull Police Department formed its motorcycle squad in 2002, then First Selectman Ray Baldwin said Officer Thomas Richard was one of the two names that he knew immediately he wanted on it.
His instincts were correct, he said, because Richard was a natural motorcycle cop.
“He took to it like a fish to water,” Baldwin said.
Richard, who joined the department in 1979 and served 39 years, died Friday, according to town officials. Baldwin, who joined the department eight years before Richard, said the two shared a four-decade friendship.
“He was always the friendliest guy ever. I really loved him,” Baldwin said. “He was a good cop, a smart guy and an allaround good person to have in your corner when things got tough.”
In the 1970s, Baldwin said, there was a close-knit camaraderie between officers.
“The guys on the police department were a pretty close group of guys,” he said. “Aside from working together, we did a lot of socializing like going to Yankees games in New York and playing softball and football on the police teams.”
When the motorcycle squad formed one year into Baldwin's first term as first selectman, he said Richard was a natural at the squad's responsibilities that included accident investigations, motor vehicle complaints, speeding enforcement and more.
He added that soon after starting, Richard was highly regarded throughout Fairfield County as one of the department's best accident investigators.
“He became so proficient in accident investigations that other areas would call on him to do investigations,” he said.
A Facebook post by the Trumbull Police Department honoring Richard detailed the different ways he continued to serve Trumbull following his retirement in October 2018.
Richard went on to work as a school security officer in the Trumbull schools, and also worked as a part-time officer performing special duty jobs.
“He had a positive impact during his many years as a police officer for the town of Trumbull,” said First Selectman Vicki Tesoro. “And at the end of his career he worked in the schools as well, and had a real positive impact on the students.”
Tesoro shared her condolences in an official town statement, and expressed how important Richard was in the community.
“It's a real tragedy. He was a kind and giving person, and as a police officer, that's a special way to be for the community,” she said. “He was a very giving person.”