Date: Fri 06-Jun-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

police-commission-Kehoe-sgt

Full Text:

Police Commission Promotes Kehoe To Sergeant

(with photo)

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

The Police Commission has promoted Michael Kehoe, the police department's

school resource officer, to the rank of sergeant.

Commission members appointed Kehoe to the position following an executive

session Tuesday night.

Commission members interviewed Kehoe and patrol officers Jim Mooney and George

Sinko for the sergeant's post before unanimously naming Kehoe to the position,

said Police Chief James E. Lysaght, Jr. The commission typically interviews

the three officers who have the highest scores on competitive testing for the

sergeant's post before naming a person for the job.

Voting on the appointment were commission members Carol Mattegat, Gerald

Frawley, James Reilly and chairman William Meyer.

Kehoe is the police department's fifth sergeant, joining John Qubick, Martin

Pytko, Henry Stormer and Joe Rios as supervisors of the field services unit.

The police department had five sergeants until several years ago when Sergeant

Robert Braatz left the organization.

Based on a review of the department's operations, manpower and supervisory

needs, Police Commission members decided that a fifth sergeant's position

should be created, Chief Lysaght said.

The promotion took effect Wednesday, but Kehoe will continue serving as school

resource officer until June 30, the chief said.

Kehoe will train patrol officer Phil Hynes to become the next school resource

officer.

Kehoe will be sworn in as sergeant in ceremonies at the police station July 1.

"It will offer us more supervision on the street," Chief Lysaght said of

Kehoe's being named a sergeant.

"It offers the officers supervisory support that they may not have enjoyed in

the past," he said, noting that shift sergeants sometimes serve as backup

dispatchers for the civilian radio dispatchers inside the police station.

Kehoe started work at the town's police department in 1978, serving there in

various capacities.

He has been the school resource officer since January, working with students

in grades 6 through 12. Before that he served as the youth officer since 1989,

working with students in kindergarten through grade 5. He also has worked as

an acting sergeant and a patrol officer.

"It feels excellent," Kehoe said of his promotion to sergeant.

"It's really supervising, making those important decisions," he said of his

new role. "It's increased responsibilities," he said.

"It's exciting and it's new responsibilities. I look forward to new

challenges," he said.

While serving as school resource officer, Kehoe was attached to the special

investigations unit and worked the day shift. He will now return to the

rotating shifts which are worked by most members of the field services unit.

Becoming reaccustomed to working rotating shifts may be the most difficult

adjustment he will face, Kehoe said.

With the naming of a fifth sergeant there will now theoretically be a sergeant

on every work shift.

Kehoe, 42, has a master's degree in business administration from the Hartford

Graduate Center of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a bachelor's degree in

criminal justice administration from Western Connecticut State University, and

an associate's degree in police science from Tunxis Community College. He is

married and has two teenage children.