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Police: Motor Vehicle-Related Stops Up 66% This Year

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New Canaan Police more than doubled the number of motor vehicle stops that officers made in April compared the year-ago month, officials say. The rise in the most recent reportable month—from 335 to 674—is a “significant increase” that reflects the “good work of our officers,” according to Police Chief John DiFederico. “They’re becoming highly visible out there,” he told members of the Police Commission during their May 21 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

DiFederico added: “It helps slow down traffic and it’s great to see out there.”

The comments came during a section of the meeting where the chief reviewed monthly statistics with the appointed body. Motor vehicle enforcement has been a priority for police in recent months. In the first four months of 2025, officers made 1,663 motor vehicle-related stops compared to 1,002 during the same period in 2024—a 66% increase. 

Commission Chair Paul Foley asked whether the increase reflects motorists caught speeding. 

The chief said that during April, much of the activity was for distracted driving following receipt of a state grant. 

New Canaan Police upped their enforcement under the 2025 Distracted Driving Grant, which ran April 1 to 30 as part of a joint effort with state and local law enforcement and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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New Canaan Teen Charged with DUI

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Police on June 7 arrested a New Canaan teenager and charged him with driving under the influence. At about 6:56 p.m. on June 7, officers responded to the area of Canoe Hill and Laurel Roads on a report of a two-car crash, police said. While investigating, officers smelled alcohol on the 19-year-old driver’s breath, according to a police report. After conducting field sobriety tests, the teen was charged with the misdemeanor offense. He additionally was charged with possession of alcohol by a minor on a public street and failure to drive right. 

At police headquarters, breath tests established the teen’s blood-alcohol level at .101 and .938, the report said.

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Woman, 36, Charged with Leaving Children Unsupervised in Vehicle

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Police last week arrested a 36-year-old New Canaan woman and charged her with leaving a child unsupervised in a motor vehicle. At about 3:38 p.m. on June 4 (a Wednesday), officers were dispatched to the New England Academy of Dance lot on Main Street on a report of children left alone inside a vehicle, police said. Through an investigation, officers determined that the children had been left unattended for several minutes inside an open vehicle in the lot, according to a police report. The woman was charged with the misdemeanor offense. Under state law, “[a]ny parent, guardian or person having custody or control, or providing supervision, of any child under the age of twelve years who knowingly leaves such child unsupervised in a place of public accommodation or a motor vehicle for a period of time that presents a substantial risk to the child’s health or safety, shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.”

She was released after promising to appear June 17 in state superior Court. 

Kelly Coughlin

New Canaan Police Take Part in Special Olympics ‘Law Enforcement Torch Run’

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New Canaan Police on Friday participated in a fundraising run for the Special Olympics. NCPD received the “Flame of Hope” from Stamford Police early on a sunny, hot morning at the “Pop Up Park” at South Avenue between Elm Street and Morse Court. The Law Enforcement Torch Run “is an incredible event that brings law enforcement together and connects them with the Special Olympics community,” Officer Kelly Coughlin said in an interview before NCPD’s leg of the run started. Launched in 1981, the “run” now sees more than 100,000 law enforcement officers, known to the event as “Guardians of the Flame,” participate. The “Flame of Hope” symbolizes courage and celebration of diversity, according to the Special Olympics website.

Bill Walbert

‘A Symbol of Our Town’s Commitment to Public Safety’: Officials Cut Ribbon on Renovated Police Station

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More than 50 town officials and community members gathered at the entrance of the New Canaan Police Station on South Avenue on Wednesday morning to mark the re-opening of the renovated building. The updated station at 174 South Ave.—a $20 million project, $29 million with soft costs such as insurance and the temporary headquarters downtown—includes new office space, locker rooms, and much more. “The improved space enhances our ability to carry out daily operations, strengthen teamwork, and continue serving New Canaan with the highest standards of professionalism and care,” Police Chief John DiFederico said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, held on a sunny, breezy day. Those in attendance included First Selectman Dionna Carlson, Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll, Public Works Director Tiger Mann and Police Capt. Joseph Farenga. The chair of the Police Department Building Committee, Bill Walbert, opened the ceremony by expressing his pride and admiration for the new station.