EAST HAVEN, Conn. -- Less than two weeks after former police chief Leonard Gallo resigned, the town is set to name a former Stamford chief to lead its scandal-ridden department on an interim basis.
Law enforcement sources said Mayor Joseph Maturo is expected to name Brent Larrabee as the acting chief of the 48-member department.
Larrabee left the Stamford Police Department in January 2010 after five years there. Larrabee has worked in the past with Dean Esserman who took over as New Haven police chief last year. Both chiefs were hired by Gov.Dannel P. Malloy when he was mayor of Stamford.
Larrabee has been working with Strategic Policy Partnership, a Massachusetts-based firm that assists municipalities in among other things hiring new police chiefs. Strategic Policy Partnership is currently helping Hartford find a new chief.
Sources said when Gallo announced his retirement on Jan. 30, Maturo reached out to Strategic Policy Partnership Chairman Robert Wasserman about helping East Haven conduct a national search. Gallo's last day as chief was Feb. 3.
When he announced Gallo's retirement Maturo said he would put together a search committee that would conduct a national search to bring in a new chief to "restructure the department, implement reforms and work with the community."
Maturo also promised to reach out to the Latino community as the process unfolded. It is unclear if Maturo still plans to form a committee and conduct a national search. Maturo named deputy police chief John Mannion to oversee the department during the transition.
Late Wednesday afternoon Maturo issued a statement regarding the search for a new chief.
"Since Chief Gallo resigned on Friday, I have reached out to many people to discuss the future of the East Haven Police Department, including the possible appointment of an interim Chief," Maturo said. "I fully understand the desire of the public in general and our citizens in particular to have information, especially with regard to our Police Department. I expect to have more to share early next week and will not be commenting further until that time."
Larrabee, 65, was previously the police chief in Framingham, Massachusetts before Malloy hired him in Stamford in January 2005. He also worked as a consultant to the Providence Police department when Esserman was the chief there.
At the time of Larrabee's hiring Malloy praised his commitment to community policing. Larrabee's contract was not renewed by current Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia in January 2010. Larrabee is currently living in Florida.
Larrabee steps into a department reeling from allegations of racial profiling and facing a potential significant loss of personnel. Four members of the department were arrested last month on allegations that they illegally targeted Latino drivers and then tried to cover up their actions.
The four officers, Sgt. John Miller and officers Dennis Spaulding, David Cari and Jason Zullo, face federal charges that could land them in prison for up to 20 years. They are all free on bond awaiting a trial that is scheduled to start in January 2013.
All four officers are on paid administrative leave. The department also is facing the loss of as many as six officers who are eligible to retire in the coming months.
The federal investigation is continuing and more indictments are possible, federal prosecutors have said. In the indictment of the four officers, federal authorities cited co-conspirator #1 as a person who assisted in the obstruction of justice and did nothing to stop the racial profiling. Co-conspirator #1 is Gallo, who decided to step down as chief after 14 years. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Maturo came under fire himself on the day the officers arrests were announced. During a television interview, when asked what he had done for the Latino community that day Maturo responded "I might have tacos when I go home. I'm not quite sure yet."
Maturo immediately apologized for the remark, which went viral and caused a national stir with many calling for him to step down.
Copyright 2012 - The Hartford Courant, Conn.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
