Government

Town Approves Detours for Upcoming Water Transmission Line Project [CORRECTION]

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Editor: This article has been corrected to say that the main installation on Little Brook Road will be done this coming summer of 2023, and was not finished last summer. Members of New Canaan’s state-designated local traffic authority at their most recent meeting approved use of local roads for detours during a major project from Aquarion water. 

The Police Commission at its Dec. 19 meeting voted 3-0 for the Connecticut Department of Transportation to use New Canaan roads as a detour as it finishes installing a 36-inch water transmission line this year. The state has already finished segments of its installation, which involves going down about nine feet, Public Works Director Tiger Mann told the Commission at its meeting, held at police headquarters and via videoconference. “They did a piece on Lakeview Avenue, from [Route] 123 to Millport,” Mann said.

News

‘We Were Able To Sleep a Lot Better’: Letters of Appreciation for NCPD

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Police Chief Leon Krolikowski submitted the following letters of appreciation for New Canaan Police at the Dec. 19 Police Commission meeting. ***

Officer Jeff Deak

“Hey Jeff, Just wanted to formally thank you for your support this season at the NCHS Football games. We are fortunate to have a great deal of community interest in our football team and with that interest comes a thousand fans and 400-500 students for each game. Your leadership of the officers covering our games helped create a much safer and more orderly environment than we have had in past years.

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.

News

Resident Raises Traffic Safety Concerns on Hoyt, Main and Cherry Streets

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A prominent local resident this month raised traffic safety concerns to members of New Canaan’s local on-street parking authority. Though parking currently is allowed on both sides of Hoyt Street, the vehicles on both sides of the road could make it difficult for a large emergency response vehicle to get to residents in need, according to longtime New Canaanite Christine Hussey. “People are parking on both sides, and if you are having a heart attack or a stroke or if you’re having a baby, and you need the ambulance—God forbid you need a firetruck—there is no way that vehicle is going to be able to pass,” Hussey told the Police Commission at its Nov. 16 meeting, held at New Canaan Police Department headquarters and via videoconference. “And I’m saying I think it would be very wise and prudent of us to allow parking on one side, maybe as you are going up to Main, on the right side, because if they park on the left side, they park right on the curb, and that makes it difficult if you are coming from East Avenue and it’s a big car and you’re not in a big car, you come around there’s someone coming right at you,” she said.

News

‘It’s Been a Great Initiative’: Police Increase Security at New Canaan Schools

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New Canaan Police have assigned an additional officer to bolster security at schools in town, under a new initiative, and have dramatically increased the number of times that officers check on local school campuses. 

The number of school checks from officers increased from four in September 2021 to 132 in September 2022, Police Chief Leon Krolikowski told members of the Police Commission at their most recent meeting. Through the first nine months of the year, school checks were up to 217 compared to 57 at the same time in 2021, Krolikowski said at the Oct. 19 meeting, held at police headquarters and via videoconference. In addition to full-time NCPD school resource officers at both Saxe Middle School and New Canaan High School, Officer Shane Gibson has been designed “school security officer” in a new position that brings him primarily to all public schools in New Canaan but also to private schools, the chief said. “They all work together as a team along with the campus monitors and school administration to keep our schools as safe as can be, and we’re in the process of getting some equipment that we can give to them that will help them in the event of a crisis respond better to an incident,” he told the Commission during its regular meeting.