Darien police Lt. Raymond Osborne will become a captain, two sergeants will be promoted to lieutenant and two detectives will be promoted to sergeant, the Police Commission decided Wednesday in a series of moves to fill recent vacancies in the department.
Police
Darien Police Headquarters
Osborne will oversee the Field Services Bureau, replacing Capt. Gary Pavia, who recently retired. Field Services includes not only the Patrol Division but also the Detective Division, recently commanded by Lt. Ronald Bussell, who also recently retired. (A replacement for Bussell was not announced.) The bureau also includes the Youth and Marine divisions, in which nearly all of the department’s sworn officers work.
These two sergeants, Robert Shreders and Thomas “TJ” Whyte, were each promoted to lieutenant. Also announced Thursday, Detectives Saverio “Sam” Boccuzzi and Andrew Mastroianni were promoted to sergeant.
The vacancies, caused by recent retirements, also mean the department is in the process of hiring new officers. The commission was scheduled to hold an executive session to interview candidates for entry level positions on Thursday, according to a notice posted in Town Hall.
The commission scheduled interviews in executive session with five sergeants who applied for the three lieutenant positions and four lieutenants who applied for the captain spot on Wednesday, according to another meeting notice posted in Town Hall.
Full Text of the Announcement
Here’s the announcement sent out early Thursday evening by Police Chief Duane Lovello (Darienite.com has added subheadlines and made editorial style changes to this announcement):
At a meeting of the Darien Police Commission held on [Wednesday] July 13, the Commission voted unanimously to promote five officers to fill vacancies caused by retirements. All of the promotions are effective July 24, 2016.
Capt. Raymond Osborne
Lt. Raymond Osborne, a 32-year veteran, was promoted to the rank of captain and will assume command of the Field Services Bureau which includes the Patrol, Detective, Youth, and Marine divisions. He began his law enforcement career with the
Easton Police Department in 1981 prior to joining the Darien Police Department in 1983. A 1997 graduate of the Fairfield County Detective School, he was appointed to the Detective Division and served as a member of the Fairfield County Regional Burglary Squad.
Promoted to sergeant in 2000 and lieutenant in 2008, he served as the Administrative Lieutenant prior to returning to the Patrol Division. He is a 2010 graduate of the Roger Williams University Mid-Level Police Management program and a 2013 graduate of PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police training program at Boston University.
Capt. Osborne holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Criminal Justice from Iona College and presently serves as an adjunct professor at Housatonic Community College.
He also serves as the Commander of the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team Hostage Negotiation Unit and supervises the Darien Police Department Domestic Violence Unit.
Lt. Robert Shreders
Sgt. Robert Shreders, a twenty-six year veteran, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and will be assigned to the Patrol Division. Promoted to sergeant in 2005, he served in both the Patrol Division and until recently supervised the Training Division.
A former firearms instructor and member of the Emergency Response Team, he holds a B.S. in criminal justice from Sacred Heart University and an M.S. in Emergency Management from the University of New Haven.
Lt. Thomas ‘TJ’ Whyte
Sgt. Thomas “TJ” Whyte, a twelve-year veteran, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and will be assigned to the Patrol Division. A graduate of the Fairfield County Detective School, he was previously assigned to the Detective Division and Training Division.
He is a POSTC certified Field Training Officer and Taser Instructor. He is a certified member of the Department’s Crisis Intervention Team and a member of the Accident Investigation Team. Promoted to sergeant in 2014, he presently serves in the Patrol Division.
He is a graduate of the Roger Williams University First Line Supervisor program. Lt. Whyte holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems from the University of Connecticut, graduating summa cum laude.
In 2013, he received a M.A. in criminal justice from Sacred Heart University, where he was the recipient of the Gold Medal of Excellence Criminal Justice Award.
Sgt. Andrew Mastroianni
Detective Andrew Mastroianni, a 10-year veteran, was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Currently assigned to the Detective Division, he graduated as the ‘Top Shot’ of his Police Academy Training Class in 2006.
The recipient of numerous awards and commendations, Sgt. Mastroianni serves as a Field Training Officer and a School Liaison Officer at Royle School. He is a POSTC certified instructor in firearms, patrol rifle, less-than-lethal weapons, and Fair and Impartial Policing.
A graduate of the Fairfield County Detective School, he also had a previous appointment as an acting sergeant in the Patrol Division and is a member of the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team and the Department’s Crisis Intervention Team.
He received a B.S. in justice and law administration with a minor in business administration from Western Connecticut State University in 2005 and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Sacred Heart University in 2014.
Sgt. Saverio ‘Sam’ Boccuzzi
Detective Saverio “Sam” Boccuzzi, a twenty-seven year veteran, was also promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Assigned to the Detective Division in 2006, Sgt. Boccuzzi currently serves as a youth detective. In that capacity, he has implemented the popular ‘Cop Shop’ and Youth Police Academy programs.
A graduate of the Fairfield County Detective School, he previously served as a Firearms Instructor overseeing the department’s transition to a new sidearm. He currently holds a department record as a thirteen time winner of the department’s ‘Top Shot’ award.
He is a former member of the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team, where he served as both an operator and a marksman; he also served as a Marine Patrol officer.
Sgt. Boccuzzi attended Norwalk Community College, Iona College, and Southern Connecticut State University. Sgt. Boccuzzi has served for the past five years as president of the Darien Police Association.
Police Officials Comment
According to Chief Duane Lovello, “The relatively large number of promotions for a department of this size truly reshapes our command staff and brings new energy to an organization I am very proud of.
“The broad spectrum of talent and experience carried by these five individuals positions the department very well. They’ve all worked very hard and earned these promotions.”
Police Commission Chairman Paul Johnson, speaking on behalf of Police Commissioners Kim Huffard and Tom Joyce, said:
“The Police Commission congratulates the five officers being promoted, especially Ray Osborne as he assumes the position of Captain. These five exceptional officers reflect the depth and strength of our outstanding police department.”
Correction: Andrew Mastroianni was promoted from detective to sergeant. An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported he was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant.