During a special meeting late Monday afternoon, the Police Commission decided by unanimous vote to appoint Peck to the position, pending the final approval of First Selectman Ken Flatto.

According to Police Commission Chairman William Fitzpatrick, Peck was the highest-scoring candidate in the evaluation process conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. In addition, his performance was characterized by the IACP as being “highly qualified” and “highly recommended.”

“We were very pleased with his performance in the evaluation process,” Fitzpatrick said following the announcement Monday. “We feel strongly he will make an outstanding chief of police.” The remaining three police commissioners present at the meeting also gave Peck their approval. “We look forward to working with him,” said Jacky Durrell, adding that Peck’s long history and advancement with the department was a strong asset.

Although Commissioner Samuel Lazinger was not present at the meeting, Fitzpatrick said Lazinger also supported the candidacy of Peck to the chief position.

Following the meeting, final approval of Peck’s appointment rested with First Selectman Ken Flatto, according to Section 9.19 of the town charter.

Late Monday night, Flatto said he was “thrilled” that the commission had reached a consensus and felt that Peck was highly qualified for the job. “I absolutely support the commission’s decision,” Flatto said. “Captain Peck is a fine leader, and he will make an exceptional police chief.”

According to Mary Carroll-Mirylees, the town’s director of human resources, Peck’s salary has not yet been decided, but she tentatively expects his contract to be negotiated within the next week. Flatto could not be reached for further comment on the matter before press time yesterday.

Excitement was evident in Peck’s voice as he spoke about his new position yesterday morning. “It’s very exciting,” Peck said. “But it’s also very humbling because of all of the support that I’ve gotten from the department and from the community.”

Peck said he had been unaware that the Police Commission had planned to vote in regard to the position and had been out for a run when he returned home to be unexpectedly inundated with voice mail messages. “I definitely wasn’t expecting that phone call,” he said.

In mid-April, the commission began its search to replace current Police Chief Joseph Sambrook, who announced his retirement from the department effective Aug. 9. Sambrook has served on the department for the past 42 years, nine years as chief. Peck was chosen for the position from among three other candidates, which included each of the department’s division commanders: Capts. Robert Comers, Paul Dyer and Edward Filush.

According to Fitzpatrick, in order to be eligible for promotion to chief of police, members of the department must have 12 years of service and have held the rank of captain for at least two years. This requirement placed each of the captains in the running for the position, Fitzpatrick said. During a private executive session on May 10, the Police Commission had decided to enlist the IACP to conduct the testing in order to select the best-qualified candidate.

Prior to deciding to contract with the IACP, the commission’s first step was to decide whether to fill the position from within the department or to seek outside candidates. According to Fitzpatrick, during a private executive session on April 26, the commission decided to promote from within, which narrowed down the candidate pool to the four captains. On Monday, Flatto acknowledged that the commission had faced a difficult decision in choosing the new chief. “The others interested in the position all have superb careers with the department, and we are hopeful that the team in place will continue to serve the town well,” he said. “We have a wonderful Police Department and a lot of wonderful things to build on.”

Peck also said he felt fortunate to work alongside his three fellow captains. He described them as “three very competent and professional individuals.” “We have all risen through the ranks together during our careers,” Peck said. “We have been through a lot together both professionally and personally, and we have a bond of over 100 collective years together.” Prior to being chosen as chief, Peck, who currently serves as commander of the department’s Special Services Division, said the commission’s decision to promote from within the department would create promotional opportunities and raise morale among officers.

According to Peck, Lt. Gary MacNamara, Sgt. Donald Smith and Officer Christopher Tursi are in the No. 1 positions on the most current promotional lists. MacNamara, Smith and Tursi each top the list to be promoted to captain, lieutenant and sergeant, respectively, according to Peck.

“Whenever there are promotions in an agency our size, it creates a positive energy within the organization when emerging leaders have the opportunity to elevate into key positions that impact the entire operation,” Peck said. As Fairfield’s top police official, Peck said he is looking forward to building on the solid foundations that the seven chiefs before him have built, while continuing to re-energize existing programs, such as the department’s community policing program.

“I’m most excited about allowing our officers to build on their leadership and mentoring skills,” he said. “It’s also very important to me to keep and expand upon some of the specialized programs that were initiated and supported by Chief Sambrook during his tenure.”

Prior to his tenure as commander of the department’s Special Services Division, Peck had served as patrol captain from 1998 to 2004, training officer and internal affairs lieutenant from 1992 to 1998 and patrol supervisor/sergeant from 1988 to 1992. Peck began as a part-time animal control and special police officer before working his way up to a full-time motorcycle officer and accident investigator, a position he held from 1979 to 1988.

Peck graduated from the FBI National Academy in 1995 and received his Bachelor of Science degree in police administration from the University of New Haven in 1998.

Peck is involved in numerous associations, including the Fairfield Police Benevolent Association, Fairfield Police Athletic League, Police Association of Connecticut and the IACP. He also is president and a member of the Connecticut Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates. In addition to his work with the department, Peck is an active volunteer with the Special Olympics and recently took part in a volunteer service trip to Nicaragua with his daughter Erin.

Peck, a lifelong Fairfield resident, is married to his wife Lyn and has two children, Erin, 22, and Douglas, 20. According to Peck, the details of his official start date are being worked out with Fitzpatrick, but he expects it to coincide with Sambrook’s retirement date. “People have asked me whether I’m nervous to take over such an important position, but it makes my job easy just knowing the quality of our officers,” Peck said. “I know we’re in good hands.”