Government

Police Commission Approves New Traffic-Calming Measures for Silvermine Road

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The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Carriage Barn Arts Center. Town officials this month approved several new traffic-calming measures in Silvermine. During its July 19 meeting, members of the Police Commission voted in favor of striping on the side of Silvermine Road—reducing the amount of drivable space, forcing drivers to slow down—a new crosswalk near the Mill Road intersection and a solar-powered “speed sentry,” a speed monitoring device. Police Deputy Chief Andrew Walsh recommended that the striping on Silvermine run from the “intersection at Valley Road to the intersection at Comstock Hill Road.” 

Walsh said police have observed large amounts of foot traffic near the intersection at Mill Road. “It’s definitely highly traversed as a pedestrian, we think it would be safe to have that,” he said during the meeting, held at police headquarters and via videoconference.

Andrew Walsh

DiFederico Named New Police Chief, Walsh Deputy Chief

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Town officials on Monday night promoted Deputy Chief John DiFederico as chief of police in New Canaan. 

The Police Commission also appointed Capt. Andrew Walsh as deputy chief. The promotions, which follow the retirement of Police Chief Leon Krolikowski, will take effect Dec. 31 and come with standard three-month probationary periods, according to Commission Chair Paul Foley. “Congratulations, gentlemen,” Foley said during the meeting, held at New Canaan Police Department headquarters and via videoconference. “A new step forward, which is just great.

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New Canaan Police To Outfit Vehicle for K9 Unit

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As the New Canaan Police Department works toward getting K9 dog Apollo back in service, town officials this week approved an approximately $10,000 contract with a Danbury-based company to ready a NCPD vehicle. The Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 at its regular meeting Tuesday to approve the contract with Specialty Warning Systems to install K9 equipment in a Ford Interceptor. The existing K9 vehicle is “an old Crown Victoria with well over 100,000 miles on it and the components it has now are basically failing and it’s antiquated and they don’t make the parts for it any more,” Police Capt. Andrew Walsh told the selectmen at the meeting, held at Town Hall. “So we need to replace the parts anyway, so we’re going to use a vehicle that will last longer,” Walsh said. “It’s got about 45,000 miles on it so it will last four or five years.

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Letters of Appreciation for New Canaan Police

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The following letters of appreciation were shared at the Jan. 19 Police Commission meeting by Chief Leon Krolikowski. ***

Leon,

I happened to attend today’s ‘Coffee with a Cop’ at Lapham this afternoon. I was very impressed by the two officers’ presentation, they showed the utmost professionalism and that reflects on the excellent training and leadership they receive under your command. The presentation was very informative and will contribute to our community’s safety.

Andrew Walsh

‘I Don’t Think It’s Very Realistic’: Committee Mulls Postponement or Cancellation of July 4th Waveny Fireworks [UPDATED]

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Members of the volunteer committee that organizes the annual fireworks celebration at Waveny said Wednesday that the popular family gathering likely won’t happen in any form on July 4 and that it remains to be seen whether a postponed event is feasible. The Family Fourth Committee stopped short of making a formal recommendation to postpone or cancel the event. Yet even in a modified fireworks show—for example, where attendees are told to park on the lawn at Waveny and remain in their cars—members of the group voiced concerns about people ignoring such instructions. 

“Here’s an example—the parks got closed for a reason,” Committee member Wendy Dixon Fog, who also is a volunteer EMT with New Canaan Emergency Medical Services, said during the meeting, held via videoconference. “And they got closed because people refused to social distance and you had a lacrosse game and you had a little bumble bee soccer game and these parents were already told, ‘Social distancing, no games.’ So if we can’t control what they are doing in small numbers, I don’t know how we are going to be able to do this.”

Chair Tom Stadler said the Committee would meet weekly until it reached a decision. Committee member Robin Bates-Mason said Norwalk, Westport, Enfield, West Haven, Hartford and Windsor Locks already have canceled their Independence Day fireworks.