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DUI Charge for 72-Year-Old Man

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Police late Friday arrested a 72-year-old Mount Vernon, N.Y. man and charged him with driving under the influence. At about 10:08 p.m. on March 28, an officer on patrol spotted a car on Route 123 that failed to use a proper signal and was being operated erratically, according to a police report. The officer stopped the vehicle near Locust Avenue and, during the stop, found signs of impairment in the driver, the report said. After completing field sobriety tests, the officer brought the misdemeanor charge, it said. At police headquarters, the man refused to provide a breath sample to establish his blood-alcohol level, it said.

Erica Morey

‘Helping the Members of This Community’: Letters of Appreciation for NCPD

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The following letters of appreciation for New Canaan Police Department officers were presented to the Police Commission by Chief John DiFederico at the appointed body’s Oct. 19 meeting. ***

Officer Joseph Schinella

“Chief,

“I wanted to inform you of the hard work and professionalism that have been demonstrated by Officer [Joseph] Schinella. Officer Schinella has performed multiple roles with NCPD, including: SRT, Motorcycle Unit, FTO, Dispatcher. He has proven himself time and time again that he is a dedicated member of this agency.

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Police: Motor Vehicle Violation-Related Stops Up 48% in 2025

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New Canaan Police conducted 695 motor vehicle violation-related stops in the first two months of 2025, officials say—a 48% rise from the same period last year. The dramatic increase is “good to see,” Police Chief John DiFederico said Wednesday night while reviewing the department’s monthly statistics with the Police Commission during its regular meeting. “Our officers are very active out there, stopping cars, which is very good to deter the other criminals coming into town or at least have a chance to identify some of our criminals who are coming through,” DiFederico said during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “Having high-visibility enforcement is important for us.”
The comments came as New Canaan comes out of a year that saw stolen vehicles more than double—a result of residents leaving keys in unlocked cars. Last month, police detailed the steps that detectives take to make arrests in stolen vehicle cases.

News

PHOTOS: Merritt Parkway Car Fire Sparks Brush Fire Near Waveny

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New Canaan firefighters on Wednesday afternoon put out a fully involved car fire on the Merritt Parkway. No one was injured in the motor vehicle fire on the southbound Exit 36/Old Stamford Road off-ramp, reported to the New Canaan Fire Department at 2:30 p.m., according to a press release issued by Fire Chief Albe Bassett. “The driver was able to get out of the car unharmed,” Bassett said in the press release. “Connecticut State Police reported that the vehicle fire also started a brush fire on the Merritt Parkway southbound. The brush fire extended up the embankment into the woods behind the leaf compost site on Lapham Road.”

New Canaan Firefighters used multiple hose lines from the Merritt and compost site to extinguish about one acre of brush, the chief said.

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Disorderly Charge for New Canaan Man, 55

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Police last week arrested a 55-year-old New Canaan man and charged him with disorderly conduct. At about 2:39 p.m. on March 13, officers responded to a Sleepy Hollow Road house on a report of a domestic dispute, according to police. There, authorities conducted an investigation and established probable cause for the misdemeanor charge. Police withheld details, saying it’s a domestic matter. Under state law, people are guilty of disorderly conduct if they “with intent to cause inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk … [e]ngages in … threatening behavior; or … annoys or interferes with another person,” among other reasons.