Taser Axon Body 2 police body camera 07-21-17

Months After Cops Told to Wear Cameras, Police Dept Suddenly Settles Union Grievance

Download PDF

Months ago, without mentioning the implementation of the policy to the public, the Darien Police Department instructed officers to wear body cameras, regularly recording all interactions with the pubic. What various town officials have said as recently as Monday about a union complaint over how the policy was being implemented seems to be contradicted by an agreement reached Thursday between the town and the union. First, the agreement announced Friday shows town’s bargaining position appears to have been weak, even though town officials indicated it was strong. Second, the negotiations — completed Thursday, five months after the grievance was filed — were far from dead in the water, as town officials indicated Monday. Town officials weren’t in their offices late Friday afternoon when Darienite.com sought comment from them: Police Chief Ray Osborne was out of the office by mid-afternoon Friday, not long after police announced the agreement.

Darien Police Hire New Officer with Law Enforcement and Hospital Experience

Download PDF

The Darien Police Department has hired a new officer with a year-and-a-half experience on the New Haven police force and previous work as a psychiatric technician at Stamford Hospital. Because he’s already gone through a police academy, the department won’t have to pay for Officer Burr “BJ” Allen’s training. Burr was sworn in shortly before Wednesday’s regular, 4 p.m. Police Commission meeting. Darien police issued a news release about the hiring, which said in part:
Officer Allen grew up in New Canaan, graduating high school from the Berkshire School in Massachusetts. He continued his education at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Penn. , where he was a member of both the football and lacrosse teams.

Officer Allen was sworn in at a meeting of the Darien Police Commission on July 5, 2017.

Grizzly Police Dog Leslie DaSilva 04-18-17

Police K-9 Grizzly’s Brief Career in Darien Cut Short by Cancer

Download PDF

Darien Police announced Tuesday that K-9 Grizzly, who only started with the department recently, has had his career in the department suddenly cut short after a doctor diagnosed his bone cancer. Efforts are being made to get another police dog for Officer Leslie Silva, who just went through months of training with Grizzly. Here’s the Darien police announcement:
It is with very heavy hearts that the Darien Police Department reports that Darien Police K-9 “Grizzly” has been medically retired from service. K-9 “Grizzly,” a 3 1/2 year old chocolate lab, was acquired by the Town of Darien in September of 2016 and placed with his handler, Officer Leslie Silva. He and his handler completed an extensive training program through Superior K9 Services, and subsequently received State and National Certifications in narcotics detection.

Captain Darien Police 03-17-17

Darien Police Commission Promotes Three Officers

Download PDF

On March 16, 2017, the Darien Police Commission announced the following promotions that will take effect on Sunday, March 19:

__________

— an announcement from Darien Police Department. These promotions follow vacancies resulting from the resignation of former Chief Duane Lovello, who was replaced by Ray Osborne, formerly a captain in the department. __________
Promoted to Captain: Lieutenant John P. Lawlor
Captain John Lawlor is a thirty-one year veteran of the Department. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2000 and Lieutenant in 2013 where he served as a supervisor in the Patrol and Training divisions. He instituted the Department’s Crisis Intervention Team and also the Department’s Project Lifesaver program.

Police Chief Duane Lovello 02-15-17

Retiring Police Chief Duane Lovello Reflects on 35 Years with the Darien Police Department

Download PDF

In the 35 years Police Chief Duane Lovello has been with the Darien Police Department, he says the biggest change in it is probably the police officers themselves: They’re better educated, better trained and in better shape than when he was first hired, he said. There’s also been an “explosion in technology,” Lovello said. A patrol car is “basically an office on wheels,” Lovello said. Technology has given criminals new ways of committing crimes but “there’s also a vast amount of information we get […] that helps us solve crimes.” Lovello, who grew up in Stamford, had been a firefighter with the Glenbrook Fire Department when he thought he’d take the employment test for a police officer that Darien Police Department was giving.

Meet Grizzly and Argo, Newest Members of the Darien Police Force

Download PDF

Eight fast legs, four sharp eyes, four rows of teeth (when needed) and, perhaps most importantly, two acute noses — all packaged in two trained police dogs — have just joined the force, Darien Police Department has announced. Here’s the announcement:

Two new K-9 Teams have been placed into service this past month. Officer Leslie Silva, a two year veteran of the department, has been partnered with K-9 “Grizzly,” a 3-year-old chocolate lab. Officer Amanda Hinkley, also a two year veteran, has been partnered with K-9 “Argo,” a 1-year-old German Shepherd. Both teams have successfully completed extensive obedience and narcotics detection training over the past several months.

Raymond Osborne Capt. Darien Police Chief 02-02-17

Police Commission Offers Capt Raymond Osborne Police Chief Job [UPDATE]

Download PDF

Update, Thursday: Darienite.com broke the news that Capt. Raymond Osborne had been chosen as the next Darien police chief on Wednesday afternoon. Here’s the Thursday announcement from the Police Commission:

At a meeting of the Darien Police Commission held on February 1, 2017, the Commission named Capt. Ray Osborne to succeed retiring Police Chief Duane Lovello; Lovello’s last day as chief is Feb. 15. Police Commissioners Paul Johnson, Kim Huffard, and Tom Joyce are tasked by Town Charter with appointing the Town’s police chief. In a statement released by the Commission, Chairman Paul Johnson stated:

“The Police Commission is proud to announce that we unanimously voted to name Capt. Raymond Osborne as the tenth Chief of the Darien Police Department.