Date: Fri 15-Mar-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

police-cheif-search-commission

Full Text:

Police Commission Begins Its Search For A New Chief

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The Police Commission has started its search for a new police chief to replace

Chief Michael DeJoseph who will be leaving his post March 22.

Police Commission Chairman Carol Mattegat said Wednesday an advertisement

seeking a police chief will be published soon in a widely-circulated special

interest magazine written for police personnel.

Advertising also will be published in The Hartford Courant and word of mouth

advertising will be used as well, she said.

"We have received some very interesting applications," Mrs Mattegat said of

the several job inquiries which the commission already has been sent by job

seekers.

After the commission has received sufficient applications for the town's top

police post, it will schedule meetings to review them. Job interviews will be

followed by the eventual selection of a new chief. The salary given to the new

chief will be commensurate with the person's experience, Mrs Mattegat said.

Police Commission members discussed police chief selection at a recent

meeting.

The panel will stop accepting applications at the end of April, Mrs Mattegat

said.

Police Captain Michael Fekete, the second in command in the police department,

will serve as interim chief until June, Mrs Mattegat said. The commission

hopes to have a new chief hired by then, she said.

The person to be named chief must have at least a bachelors degree and must

have at least attained the rank of lieutenant, Mrs Mattegat said.

Commission members would prefer to hire a person who has experience in the

field of community policing. Community policing is an approach to law

enforcement supported by Chief DeJoseph which encourages a cooperative spirit

and positive relations between police and members of the community.

Community policing aims to have police be helpful to the community, rather

than restrictive, she said. Commission members would prefer to hire a new

chief who will educate the public, she added.

Chief DeJoseph announced in February he will leave the police department to

take a newly-created post with the International Association of Police Chiefs

in Alexandria, Virginia. He will start in his new job April 1 serving as the

organization's technical assistance manager. Chief DeJoseph leaves Newtown

after 29 years in the police department, eight of which he served as chief.

Chief DeJoseph was hired as the town's fifth police officer and worked his way

up through the ranks to become chief.