Police Chief Gill and family. Photo by Bill O’Brien

At that hour, the entire Branford Police Department formed full dress ranks, ready to give a final salute to their Chief, the retiring Robert W. Gill. The ceremony went off with military precision.


The countdown was for 12 o'clock sharp, Tuesday, July 31. At that hour, the entire Branford Police Department formed full dress ranks, ready to give a final salute to their Chief, the retiring Robert W. Gill. The ceremony went off with military precision.
Minutes before his departure, the Chief spoke briefly to the Review of his retirement plans, and posed for a group portrait with his extended family.
"We are going to do some traveling, play golf, and work on those honey-do projects," said Gill.
Gill has served Branford as police chief for eight years. His call to duty as a peace officer began in the early 1950s during the Korean War where he served as an MP. In 1964, Gill joined the ranks of the Branford Police Department, to serve and protect the town where he was born and bred.
Chief Gill served as deputy chief for 20 years under William Hallohan. A compassionate commander, Gill was known to be as protective of his patrol officers as he was of the citizens of Branford.
The word on Tuesday was there were to be no undue displays of emotion. It was not to be. Cops, when they are not peering through your driver's side window, tend to be a loyal, sentimental lot; the quintessential good guys.
When the noon hour struck, the men and women of the entire Branford Police Department, as well as other police organizations, snapped to the command, "Ten, Hut," to give their chief his last salute.
As television news cameras recorded the event, Chief Gill passed along his thin blue line. On his arm was his wife Dorothy, who has spent 42 years waiting for his safe return home.
After a warm embrace from his office assistant Beverly Cooke, a teary-eyed Gill drove off to complete his last mission, that safe return home.
With his departure, Gill's position as chief guardian of Branford passes to his deputy chief John C. DeCarlo, whose role as deputy will be filled by information officer Lt. Thomas Fowler.
A formal dinner honoring Chief Gill will be held Aug. 23 at Woodwinds banquet hall. He will be missed.