Date: Fri 07-Jun-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

police-chief-Mooney-commission

Full Text:

Police Chief Search Passes Mooney By

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The Police Commission is conducting job interviews in its search for a new

police chief to replace Michael DeJoseph who retired in March. The panel has

apparently dropped from consideration Newtown Selectman James Mooney, a

retired state police captain who now is security chief at the University of

Bridgeport.

Commission members this week had scheduled at least four closed-door sessions

to either interview candidates for the job or seek advice on hiring a new

police chief from three sitting police chiefs from area towns.

Mr Mooney said Tuesday he had not received a job interview notice from the

Police Commission.

"I'm very disappointed... I don't expect to be contacted by what I've seen so

far... I'm very upset and disappointed," he said.

Mr Mooney took issue with the Police Commission's requirement that applicants

for the police chief's post have a bachelor's degree. Mr Mooney doesn't have a

bachelors degree, but does have a lengthy resume in the law enforcement field.

Mr Mooney said he finds it hard to believe that the Police Commission

considers himself and some experienced officers in the Newtown Police

Department unqualified for the chief's post because they don't have bachelors

degrees.

And if Police Commission members require a bachelors degree as a qualification

for the police chief's post, why don't they specifically require that such a

degree be in the area of law enforcement, instead of in any field, Mr Mooney

asked.

Another applicant for the job, Newtown Lieutenant Owen Carney, who heads the

police department's special investigations unit, when asked whether he had

received a notice from the Police Commission for a job interview, deferred

comment. He said he would prefer that Police Commission members comment on

such a matter.

Lt Carney has a bachelors degree in the area of law enforcement.

At an open session of the Police Commission Tuesday night, Chairman Carol

Mattegat said commission members have been interviewing candidates for the

town's top law enforcement post.

It's unclear when a new police chief will be working at the police department,

but commission members hope it will happen within a month, she said.

Of the work involved in reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates and

selecting a new chief, Police Commission member William Meyer quipped "Please

pray for us."

Acting Police Chief Michael Fekete's last day of work before going on leave

for surgery will be June 13.

Chief Fekete's duties in heading the police department will be handled by

department members until a new chief is at work.

The commission has notified 10 candidates for police chief job interviews.

Applicants submitted 118 resumes for the job.

The qualifications for the police chief's job include that the candidate have

at least: a bachelors degree; seven years of experience in police work; the

rank of lieutenant; and leadership and management skills. The commission also

prefers a person with experience in community policing.

"Connecticut was pretty well represented" among the people applying for the

job, Police Commission Vice Chairman Robert Connor, Jr, has said. Job seekers

are from across the country including Florida, Texas and the West Coast.

Mr DeJoseph resigned his post to take a job as technical services manager for

the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Virginia.