Government

New Canaan Police: Stolen Vehicles More Than Doubled in 2024

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The number of vehicles stolen from New Canaan more than doubled in 2024, officials say. Stolen vehicles increased from 17 to 40 year-over-year, according to Police Chief John DiFederico. The figures represent a 135% rise. “It was not a good year for vehicles,” he told members of the Police Commission during their regular meeting, held Wednesday night at Town Hall and via videoconference. The nature of the thefts appears to be changing in a dangerous way, DiFederico said.

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Former Police Officer Sues Town for Denying Pension

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Denied a disability pension three months ago, a former New Canaan Police officer—in prison since last summer, after pleading guilty to cruelty to animals—this week sued the town in connection with the denial. David Rivera, NCPD’s former K-9 officer, sustained “a service connected disability and therefore … should be granted a service connected disability pension,” according to a complaint filed on his behalf by attorney John Bochanis of Bridgeport-based Daly, Weihing & Bochanis, LLC. The town, Board of Finance and Funded Retirement Plan are named as defendants, according to the complaint, received Jan. 14 in the Town Clerk’s office. “Contrary to the Defendants’ basis to deny the Plaintiff’s application and subsequent appeal, the Plaintiff has not engaged in ‘fraud and dishonesty towards the Town’ as claimed by the Defendants as the basis to deny the Plaintiff’s application for disability retirement benefits,” the complaint said.

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Podcast: New Canaan Resident at L.A. Wildfires

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This week on 0684-Radi0, our free podcast (subscribe here in the iTunes Store), we talk to Stephanie Sambeat Odenath, a New Canaan resident who grew up in Pacific Palisades, Calif. This past weekend, she flew back to Los Angeles, where the childhood home where her parents were still living has been destroyed. Here are some vetted resources for those seeking to help:

Local LA American Red Cross

Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation

Baby2Baby

World Central Kitchen (if you go to their site you can donate to California directly)

Pasadena Community Foundation

211LA
California Wildlife Emergency Disaster Response Fund

Here are recent episodes of 0684-Radi0:

Around Town

‘Woof Woof the Shadow Pup’ Free Family Program Coming Feb. 9 [Q&A]

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Three beloved local organizations—Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan CARES and the New Canaan YMCA—have teamed up to bring the community a free family program next month. “Woof Woof the Shadow Pup” will be held at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Carriage Barn (register here, space is limited). 

The program includes a shadow dance with professional dancers from the children’s theater production of “Woof Woof” that’s designed to help children express their thoughts and feelings more easily to an imaginary character. “Children will experience projection art and an interactive story time, participate in immersive shadow dance, and dig into hands-on prop-making,” promotional materials say. We put questions to the heads of the three organizations presenting the program.

News

Man, 40, Charged for Impersonation of a Police Officer

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Police on Saturday arrested a 40-year-old Stamford man and charged him with impersonation of a police officer. At about 4:28 p.m. on Jan. 11, an officer on patrol stopped a car at Morse Court downtown because it had an obstructed license plate, according to a police report. The driver displayed a Stamford Police officer badge and said that he used to be a cop in Stamford and was in the process of transferring, the report said. An investigation showed that he was no longer employed by the Stamford Police Department, it said.