Police Chief John DiFederico shared the following letters of appreciation for New Canaan Police Department officers at the April 19 Police Commission meeting.
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Sgt. Thomas Callinan
New Canaan Police Sgt. Thomas Callinan. Credit: Legacy Studios
“This memo recognizes your outstanding performance on the night of 4/1/23. At approximately 2212 hours you responded with Ofc. [Emily] Clark, myself and Ofc. [Christopher] Dewey to the area of the Merritt Parkway exit 36 southbound ramp for a reported MVA (car vs. guardrail) where the three vehicle occupants were seen fleeing the vehicle on foot. Upon arrival you noticed narcotics inside the vehicle as well as what appeared to be a Glock handgun stuffed between the driver seat and the center console. It was later determined to be a loaded paintball gun, however, clearly in the vehicle for nefarious purposes. Once CSP [Connecticut State Police] arrived you and Ofc. Dewey continued checking the immediate area. You decided to check Spring Water Lane where you then observed a vehicle backing out of a driveway in front of you. When the vehicle proceeded to pull away you noted four occupants inside and conducted an investigatory motor vehicle stop. Subsequent to the stop, you positively identified three occupants as the driver and two of his friends from the MVA. Additionally, you recovered multiple baggies of cocaine, multiple baggies of ecstasy, empty baggies, hundreds of dollars in varying cash denominations, a large bag of mairjuana and a confession from the driver that it was all his. CSP took custody of the suspect and charged him with their crimes. You seized contraband and completed an arrest warrant for the appropriate narcotics related charges to arrest the offender at a later date. You demonstrated diligent police work and investigative skills during this incident which directly resulted in the apprehension of criminals who were wandering around New Canaan. You also demonstrated the type of effort we expect from our squad’s officers; leading by example is a strong way to lead. Well done!”
—Lt. Joseph Farenga (April 3, 2023)
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Officer Kelly Coughlin
New Canaan Police Officer Kelly Coughlin. Credit: Legacy Studios
“Officer Coughlin received a call for a man down at Waveny Park … near the restroom facilities. Officer Coughlin responded and supervised care of me along with EMS personnel. My car and contact information was tracked down and contact was made to coordinate transport to Norwalk Hospital. (This was all done without my assistance as I was slowly regaining consciousness.) I was transported to the hospital … Thank you very much for your efforts. Thank you and be safe.”
—Name withheld for medical/privacy reasons (March 26, 2023)
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Officer Annamaria Ceci
New Canaan Police Officer Annamaria Ceci. Credit: Legacy Studios
“On behalf of Stuart Sawabini and the entire membership of CERT [Community Emergency Response Team], I’d like to thank you for the excellent presentation that you delivered to our members at our annual meeting last Wednesday. Your presentation was very professional and thoroughly informative. At CERT, we are looking to increase our involvement and assistance with other departments and your presence, charts and discussion provided great insight into how the department operates and interacts with the community. I also appreciated your review of all the items an officer is expected to carry on while on duty. Quite an array! All in all, a terrific presentation and one that was truly appreciated by all CERT members. Thank you again!”
—Peter Bergen (March 28, 2023)
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Lt. Marc DeFelice, Sgt. Thomas Callinan and Officer Emily Clark
L-R: New Canaan Police Lt. Marc DeFelice, Sgt. Thomas Callinan and Officer Emily Clark. Credit: Legacy Studios
“I would like to take a moment to thank you all for your assistance with the Peer Interview component of our RTS process on February 2 & 8, 2023. The Peer Interview phase of our testing process is one of the most important, as it narrows down our selection of candidates to a small group. In addition, it not only allows us to get to know one of our potential future officers; it also gives that individual a chance to get to know our agency. You all handled that task with integrity and professionalism. Each one of you provided valuable input regarding the candidates who interviewed that evening. Thanks to your help, we were able to identify a solid group of candidates, two of whom will become new members of our department. Your contributions made the selection process run smoothly and efficiently. Most importantly, you all represented our department in a proud and professional manner. Again you have my sincere appreciation for your assistance.”
—Sgt. Brian Mitchell (March 28, 2023)
We know only a little of what these officers see and do to protect and serve our community. So, published letters like these go a long way. New Canaan is fortunate and grateful to have the very best police force in Connecticut!
Good point, Danielle. And it’s also hard to measure crimes that are prevented or preempted by a vigilant and professional police force such as New Canaan’s.
1,000 thanks to each of these impressive officers. The nature of the work of first responders is that tragedies get more attention than their many successes at avoiding them so it is great to acknowledge their wins.