Conn. Chief Sworn In; Vows 'Stronger, Better' PD

June 27, 2013
East Haven Police Chief Brent Larrabee said his current post is "the most complex job" he's ever had.

EAST HAVEN, Conn. -- He shed the interim label in January, but it was not until Wednesday morning that Police Chief Brent Larrabee was formally sworn in by Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr.

He's been a police chief in three other municipalities, two of which are far bigger than East Haven, but Larrabee said his current post is "the most complex job" he's ever had.

The morning's ceremony, held at the Hagaman Memorial Library, attracted a flock of media as Maturo coupled Larrabee's swearing-in with an update on the town's progress working with the U.S. Department of Justice, a year-and-a-half after the agency cited the town and its Police Department for profiling minorities.

Larrabee arrived in East Haven following the February 2012 retirement of Chief Leonard Gallo, after four officers were arrested and charged with civil rights violations.

Maturo described Larrabee's arrival as having an "immediate calming and stabilizing effect," adding that it eventually led to negotiations with the Department of Justice about how the Police Department could improve. The result was the signing of a $2.5 million compliance agreement, where federal officials agreed to halt litigation in exchange for completing a laundry list of policy changes.

"It's the seminal thing we do here," Larrabee said about the consent decree. "It's complex because of the federal government, it's complex because of the scrutiny in the media, and when we say anything in the newspaper -- as the mayor noted today -- it's above the fold."

Last Friday marked the critical 180-day deadline requiring the department to complete 24 guidelines, items ranging from completing bias-free police training to establishing a plan that addresses how to communicate with the town's non-English speaking population.

All training needs to be completed by the end of December.

"The road has not been easy," Maturo said. "(But) the leadership exhibited by Chief Larrabee has improved morale in our department."

The attorney representing the town as it complies with the Department of Justice, Lawrence C. Sgrignari, said after the ceremony it's been a unique experience for him. Every two weeks he participates in a conference call with the agency, including Kathleen O'Toole, the Department of Justice's chief compliance coordinator.

"Everyone has been making sure we're proactive," he added.

Larrabee said the end result will be a "stronger and better department."

He recalled how when he first arrived in East Haven he "thought I was going to meet all these barbarians at the gate."

That's not the way it is, he pointed out.

"There are myths we have to dispel," he said.

Copyright 2013 - New Haven Register, Conn.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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