Farmington chief of police hired as Avon police chief
HARTFORD — Farmington Chief of Police Paul Melanson confirmed on Thursday that he will become Avon’s new chief of police on July 2.
Melanson will take over for Jim Rio, a former Farmington police chief who came out of retirement in November 2019 to serve as the director of police services for the Avon Police Department, officials in Farmington and Avon also confirmed. He will make $154,500 per year.
Avon began the search for a new chief in January, Avon Town
Manager Brandon Robertson said, and it quickly honed in on Melanson as the top choice out of a pool of about six candidates.
Melanson, according to Robertson, meets all the criteria he was looking for in a new police chief to head up the 34-officer department.
“His reputation precedes him,” Robertson said. “He is a top professional. … He’s got a stellar track record. … He’s got a good understanding of the needs of the Farmington Valley. He’s a very well-known and respected quantity.”
Years ago, Melanson was told by another police chief that it’s always “good to leave a place while you’re still wanted.”
“I thought that was very telling for a chief,” Melanson, 53, who has served as the town’s police chief for 13 years, said.
Robertson praised Rio’s tenure with the town, saying Rio not only provided a stabilizing presence to the department but also advanced some of its goals. Rio took the Avon job following the abrupt retirement of former Chief of Police Mark Rinaldo, who left the department under murky circumstances following a 21-year career with the depart
ment.
“I can’t say enough superlatives about Jim Rio,” Robertson said. “He was there when we needed him, he really saw the department and the town through a difficult period between dealing with COVID, some of the issues we dealt with after the murder of George Floyd back in the summer of 2020. Jim has just been a godsend and we wish him all the best. …
“Jim is a consummate professional and the department benefited significantly through his experience and his steady hand.”
Farmington officials praised Melanson for his 13 years of service to the town.
“Chief Melanson has been a tremendous asset to our town and I wish him great success in his new position,” Town Council Chairman C.J. Thomas said. “I am confident our next chief will continue the long tradition of excellence our police department has in serving Farmington and Unionville.”
“We are grateful for his leadership and service to the Town of Farmington for the past 13 years,” Town Manager Kathy Blonski added in a statement. “The town of Farmington has a spectacular police department.
Our officers engage with the Farmington community every day with dedication and professionalism. We remain well-positioned to continue to provide a high level of service to the residents of Farmington.”
Blonski, who has the authority to hire Melanson’s replacement, said the first step in Farmington’s search for a new chief will begin with internal candidates.
“We have a very strong and experienced command staff at the police department,” Blonski said.
Melanson, a Simsbury resident who served in the West Hartford police department for 20 years prior to becoming chief in Farmington, said the decision to leave was not an easy one, but that the Avon post is an opportunity to make his mark on another police department before he retires.
“I worked at two of some of the best police agencies in the state,” Melanson said. “And I’ve loved both of them and have learned from both of them and enjoyed them. Now I’m getting to that point where I probably have one more in me and I’m hoping I can make some positive inroads in the Avon police department. There’s an opportunity. They’ve been under a director, Jim Rio, whom I know well. I think the police officers I heard were looking forward to some stabilization.”
While he cited some high-profile cases through the years — last year’s plane crash at Trumpf on Hyde Road, officers making an arrest in a recent homicide at Sunset Terrace and Farmington detectives solving a case involving a man wanted by the New York Police Department — Melanson said the most rewarding part of the job has been seeing his officers help out residents with day-to-day matters.
“Eighty percent of our job is just serving people, whether it be unlocking cars, helping people change tires, or if you’re having an issue with one of your kids and you need someone to talk to them,” Melanson said. “Those are the things these officers excel at. …
“It’s been so rewarding, which makes it so difficult to leave such a great group,” he said. “On the flip side, I look to the opportunity and go and try to potentially make my mark on another agency.”
He said he had great relationships with Blonski, the town council, and various town departments and agencies, as well as the support from the community.
“They say the average life of a chief is five years; it’s been 13 years here,” Melanson said. “All great things. I look back and I have nothing but fond memories.”