Posted by Shore Publishing on Oct 23 2008, 02:55 PM
By Ben Rayner, Sound Senior Staff Writer:
There hasn’t been a rise in crime, but Branford has hired four new officers to make sure it stays that way. The hires include one new officer, three replacement officers, and the swearing in of the department’s first female sergeant.
According to Deputy Police Chief John DeCarlo, being at full staff enables the department to continue many of the new initiatives he has established, including Problem Orientated Police and Community Policing programs, both of which rely heavily on officers in the neighborhoods meeting citizen and community needs. The four new hires are all veteran officers who have retired from other nearby police agencies.
“This is a win, win situation for our agency and the officers. They are veteran officers that bring years of experience and expertise to the agency, while the agency saves the cost and extended time that it takes to train a new officer,” said DeCarlo.
“We save about 28 weeks of training per officer which amounts to almost $95,000 in savings for the taxpayers of Branford. I am extremely pleased with the selections,” he said. “They, in total, add up to more than 100 years of police department experience. There is a lot of combined experience in these officers.”
Joseph Peterson joined Branford Police Department (PD) in November 2007 after starting his career in the East Haven Police Department in July 1989. Peterson is a certified field training officer, SCUBA diver, mountain bike officer, and K-9 handler. In East Haven as a K-9 handler, he and his partner Bear won numerous awards and citations for their outstanding work.
Lou Sobieraj joined Branford PD in May 2008 after serving 20 years in the Meriden Police Department. He began his career in patrol until his promotion to detective in 1997. As a detective during his distinguishing career he received numerous awards and was also deputized and assigned to the FBI Narcotics Task Force.
Patrick Moynihan joined Branford PD in June 2008 after retiring from the Waterbury Police Department as a senior patrol sergeant. Appointed in 1988, Moynihan worked as a patrol officer until his promotion to detective where he was assigned to the Tactical Narcotics Team, Vice & Intelligence Squad. He later worked in the Criminal Investigations Bureau investigation violent crimes and burglaries.
Bryan McGinnis joined Branford PD last month after serving 20 years and retiring from the Orange Police Department. McGinnis spent the majority of his career in the Patrol Division. He is a certified field training officer and motorcycle officer. He received numerous department awards and also served in the Orange department’s Investigative Services Unit and as its Court Liaison Officer.
Branford also has added its first female sergeant, Kris A. Hormuth. According to the department, she completed a comprehensive two-week Command Training Program at Roger Williams University in September.
Hormuth joined the department in July 1994. Her duties as a sergeant will include first line supervision of officers as well as overseeing the department’s commitment to the newly established TRIAD program aimed at preventing crimes against Branford’s senior citizens, according to DeCarlo.
“Our agency is committed to the education and development of our officers and management staff,” said DeCarlo. “Roger Williams University is a premier university offering comprehensive development courses that better enable our supervisors to serve the citizens of this community.”
Pictured: New Branford police officer hires include, left to right, Lou Sobieraj, Joseph Peterson, Bryan McGinnis, and Patrick Moynihan.
Photo courtesy of Branford Police Department