Government

Town To Make Weed-and-Elm a Three-Way Stop

By |

After years of wrangling about it, town officials decided this week to make the intersection at Elm and Weed Streets a three-way stop. Currently, there’s only a stop sign for motorists on Elm Street, approaching Weed. Police say they’ve received an increasing number in complaints in recent years about motorists ignoring pedestrians trying to get across Weed, including many who are coming to or from Irwin Park. “Obviously there’s a high volume of pedestrian traffic there, to get to Irwin and back from Irwin,” Police Chief John DiFederico said Tuesday night during a regular meeting of the Police Commission, New Canaan’s designated local traffic authority. “Although it’s a real flat road there, if you’re coming south on Weed Street there’s a bit of a crown in the road, and it’s difficult to see the intersection as you approach on Weed Street from the north,” DiFederico said during the meeting, held at police headquarters and via videoconference.

News

Police Adding More Cameras to Downtown New Canaan

By |

New Canaan Police say they’re adding more cameras downtown that will capture car crashes such as the one that stopped traffic at Main and Elm Streets two weeks ago. Specifically, the department is adding more ‘pan tilt zoom’ cameras to downtown streets such as Elm “to document and capture things like what occurred yesterday [Oct. 20],” according to Police Chief John DiFederico. “They’re video camera systems that are better equipped at capturing and documenting events rather than license plate cameras,” DiFederico told members of the Board of Selectmen at their Oct. 21 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

The chief’s comments came during the Board’s discussion before approving a $28,000 annual service contract with an Atlanta-based company for license plate recognition hardware and software.

Footer Featured Widget

‘Dedication, Selflessness and Commitment’: New Canaan Police Department Honors the Late Stuart Sawabini

By |

Town resident Stuart Sawabini, a dedicated community volunteer who helped guide the renovation and expansion of the New Canaan Police Department and led efforts to improve communications for emergency responders, has died, officials say. NCPD announced Sawabini’s passing Thursday in a press release issued by Chief John DiFederico. A Police Commission member from 2005 to 2018, Sawabini “brought extensive and valuable experience to the department through his service on the town’s Emergency Preparedness Committee, the Community Emergency Response Team, and his deep expertise in information technology,” DiFederico said in the press release. The chief noted that Sawabini “was a strong advocate for improving radio coverage throughout New Canaan.”
“He spearheaded a project that significantly enhanced communication capabilities across the town—an achievement that continues to benefit public safety operations today,” DiFederico said. “He was also a strong proponent of a new police headquarters, providing insightful feedback and technical knowledge that proved invaluable to planning and development efforts.”
Sawabini’s “dedication, selflessness, and commitment to public safety exemplified the very best in civic leadership,” the press release said.

Government

Police: Residential Burglaries Up in New Canaan in August

By |

New Canaan Police saw a sharp rise in residential burglaries last month, largely among homes left unattended during summer vacation, officials said Wednesday. Five residential burglaries were reported in August, according to data that Police Chief John DiFederico shared during the regular meeting of the Police Commission, held at the agency’s newly renovated headquarters and via videoconference. “The month of August was a tough month for us,” DiFederico said. 

He continued: “We average about one [burglary] a month, but the month of August was five. We had a rash going through grabbing ladders and hitting second-floor windows. This is probably a good wakeup call for residents that when you’re away for the summer months, please have somebody checking on your house regularly.

News

Op-Ed: Police, Schools Working on E-Bike Safety

By |

[John DiFederico is chief of the New Canaan Police Department.]

In response to complaints about local juveniles on e-bikes speeding, being reckless and nearly colliding with automobiles, and the increasing number of reports from across the country of life-threatening injuries from e-bike accidents, New Canaan Police continues to address the issue in our community. It has been about a year-and-a-half since our patrol officers and Community Impact Officer started working directly with the community to inform them about proper use of electric bicycles and scooters on our local streets. Our efforts have not let up. Our public relations campaign, which started in April 2024, continues in local news media, Town information outlets and social media. Further, we are now collaborating with New Canaan Public Schools where administrators are working with middle school students to develop a multi-media program to get the word out to youth e-bike riders about safe and proper use of e-bikes on our roads.