The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Police chief Cappiello to retire June 30 after 35 years serving town
Deputy chief John Sullivan will serve as interim chief
HAMDEN — The town’s police chief will retire at the end of this month after decades in law enforcement.
Police Chief John Cappiello announced his retirement through the town of Hamden, effective June 30, late Friday afternoon.
“Police chief Cappiello has been a strong leader in the Hamden Police Department, serving with extraordinary integrity in his 35-plus years of service,” Hamden Mayor Curt Balzano Leng said.
“We have been very fortunate to have his steady hand in the leadership positions of Deputy Chief and then Police Chief over the last decade and a half.”
When Cappiello retires, Deputy Police Chief John Sullivan — who marked 25 years with Hamden police just a few days ago — will serve as the department’s acting police chief.
“He is possibly best known for his service and interaction with the public as a leader in Hamden’s community policing efforts,” Leng said of Sullivan.
Leng said Cappiello was someone the mayor has “always been able to depend on,” with a commitment to public safety for all residents.
With Cappiello’s retirement comes the relaunch
File photo of Hamden Police Chief John Cappiello, set to retire on June 30.
of the Hamden Police Chief Community Input & Transparency Committee, tasked with outlining the kind of chief the town needs.
The committee focuses various things, including first updating the job descrption to reflect Hamden’s goals for the chief’s position.
The committee will also research best recruitment strategies to get a diverse pool of applicants.
After recruitment, the
committee, will take the lead and work with the personnel department to conduct full interviews of the applicants before forwarding the top candidate recommendations for the mayor for final consideration.
Leng said the recommended candidates will be interviewed by the mayor and members of his administration, with continued input from the committee, prior to a choice being made.