When Buturla, 47, took the oath of office during a ceremony attended by more than 200 people at Town Hall, it was just two months after his father, former Capt. Joseph Buturla, died at age 87.

A veteran State Police official, John Buturla left his post as chief administrative officer for the city of New Haven to take the Stratford job, replacing Michael Imbro as chief. Imbro retired after 38 years with the department.

"Long before my first day as a police officer, I knew what it meant to be one," Buturla said. "I got to watch one of the best as I grew up, and that was my father."

When Buturla became a police officer 28 years ago, his father was there to pin the badge on his son's chest during a swearing-in ceremony in Trumbull.

The new chief, who grew up in Stratford and graduated from Bunnell High School, said he will set high standards for the town's 100-member department because he believes "being a police officer is not just a job — it is a lifestyle." While Buturla recognizes the department has had problems in recent years, including accusations of racism and brutality against officers, he chooses to look ahead and not focus on what happened in a former administration.

Before becoming CAO in New Haven two years ago, Buturla was both deputy and acting director of homeland security for Connecticut.

He served more than 20 years in the state police, where he rose to the rank of major and later served as the chief of staff for the state police and counter-terrorism liaison with the FBI.

Buturla recently talked about his vision for the Police Department's future. Q: You were chief administrative officer of New Haven, the state's third largest city, but decided to leave that prestigious job and accept the post of police chief in Stratford. Why?

A: "Although I truly enjoyed my tenure as CAO in New Haven, there is nothing like being able to serve in your hometown. My family has been in Stratford since the early 1900s, and my father was in this department sine 1946. If I was going to go back into police work, this was the only department I was interested in leading."

Q: What are your early impressions of the department after about a month?

A: "I have been impressed with the strength and diligence within the department, and with the officers. One of my major goals is to better integrate the department and the community by encouraging them to work together."

Q: Why is community policing so crucial and how is that effort going?

A: "Community policing is not just a program, but a philosophy. We need to work more closely with the community to develop a strong partnership. We must begin building relationships with people and gain their trust. How police and youth interact, how can our officers better handle domestic violence? There is no shortage of ways to expand community policing."

Q: How? A: "The mayor and former chief took significant steps in bringing back the community policing program by putting officers on bikes and more patrol cars in the South End. I look to enhance and expand that program. We are being as responsive as we can in this area, and are looking at new ways to bridge the gap between police and residents."

Q: You have also mentioned expanding training programs for officers. In what areas?

A: "I believe all aspects of training enhances an officer's perspective and encourages them to become creative thinkers. It also encourages officers to utilize both the latest technology available, and creates options on how they can utilize technology to carry out those options. "We often can work smarter; that doesn't necessarily mean more aggressively."

Q: Speaking of aggression, the department has been hit by accusations of police brutality and racism stemming from an altercation in the South End last year involving Town Council Minority Leader Alvin O'Neal, a 15-year old girl — both black — and Officer David Gugliotti, who is white. What needs to be done to change the perception by some in the community about systemic brutality and racism?

A: "I prefer to look forward. I have had the opportunity of speaking directly with Councilman O'Neal, and I believe we can be responsive to the needs of all our citizens. I am confident our officers can deliver fair and equitable services. The investigation into that altercation was handled by the previous chief, and it has been concluded with the officer placed back on the job."

Q: What improvements need to be made within the department?

A: "We are short about 10 officers, so we need to enhance our staffing level in order to deliver appropriate services. We also have to bring some of our technology up to date. We need to integrate three different computer systems and use data to better direct patrol resources where they need to be.

"There are also cutting-edge techniques we can use to prevent crime."

Q: Can you speak more about that?

A: "We may be able to put in place predictive models of policing — such as looking at trends and models of crime, hot spots, specific times of the year that certain crimes are committed at higher rates — and then take measures to deter and prevent those types of crime."

Q: What do you see as a top priority in improving department services? A: "One of the most common complaints we receive and the mayor receives relates to traffic problems, such as drivers speeding, going past stop signs, and red lights. This is especially dangerous when you have schools located along major roads, as we do in Stratford.

"Right now, we only have one lieutenant and a corporal in Traffic, and one of my top goals is to expand the Traffic Division with at least three officers. Whether we can do that in the coming year or not will depend on the final budget."

Q: What was it like to put that uniform on for the first time after growing up watching your father wear it for decades?

A: "It felt like I have been wearing it my entire life. I do not take it lightly, and never will. I will always work hard to uphold the expectations of the community.

"It may sound corny, but I feel like I have come home and it is an honor to be chief where I grew up and where I watched my father serve. Hopefully, this will be the final stop in a very long and satisfying career."

— RICHARD WEIZEL