Bill Ferri was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1965, one year after graduating from Stamford High School.
He would serve as a specialist in the central highlands of Vietnam for one year starting in 1966.
“I didn’t go to college,” the New Canaan resident recalled Thursday, standing by the veteran memorial plaques in the north lobby of Town Hall. “I didn’t want to go to college. They took me right off the street.”
Months after returning from the war, he joined the New Canaan Police Department, and he’s worked there ever since—for 52 years and four months—in a professional career that’s seen him protect and serve generations of locals.
That career soon will close, as Lt. Bill Ferri prepares to retire at month’s end, marking the end of an era for the Police Department as well as the wider community.
“It’s been fun,” Ferri said. “Enjoyed it. I’ll miss it, but I’m going into new areas now.”
Asked what comes to mind on reflecting on the Police Department, Ferri said, “Met a lot of nice police officers. We were a tight group all through the years. It’s a great job.”
His service to the department, town and nation “are remarkable in every respect,” Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said.
“His service to our great country as a proud Army Vietnam Veteran must not be overlooked,” Krolikowski said in an email. “Most certainly his service model will be hard to duplicate and his shoes will be hard to fill. When you see him, please thank him for his service, and wish him well in his well-deserved retirement.”
Asked what he has planned, Ferri said with a smile, “Believe it or not, I’m just going to help preach at the Catholic church.”
He added, “I’m going to volunteer. It’s fine.”
Asked how he would describe changes in the town during the course of his five decades as a police officer, Ferri said that New Canaan sees more different types of crimes.
“Car burglaries, house burglaries, people stealing—it’s a big change,” Ferris said.
He added, “It was all drugs in the ‘60s. There were burglaries, but the majority was drug problems … Now it’s different. You have a lot of things happening that shouldn’t be happening.”
Asked what experiences or exchanges he’ll remember most about his career with the police, Ferri said, “There were so many things, especially in the ‘60s and ‘70s, that happened. I helped a lot of kids, believe it or not, in the ‘70s, who were getting involved with drugs. And I was a guy that came from Vietnam for the job here in ’67 and I helped a lot of people. I helped a lot of the teenagers in the schools, and they remember me, helping them not get arrested by trying to help them out. If they screwed up a second or third time, they got arrested. And a lot of people still remember me when they see me. ‘Oh you gave us a break with the beer.’ I just try to be honest and do a good job. I was a kid, too.”
Ferri is retiring as a widely anticipated renovation of the agency’s South Avenue headquarters nears. The department also got an injection of new blood recently, with four new officers joining the force.
Asked what he’d advise any rookie officer coming out of the academy, Ferri said, “Listen to your field trainer. Try and get yourself involved. Once you know what you’re doing, get involved so you are not making mistakes. Everything will be smooth. Be nice to the people. Treat the people like you want to be treated and it will go smoothly.”
Thank you so much for your service. You are one of a kind! All the best to you in the future. Keep the passion that you have – it is very rare these days.
Gonna miss you at Ram games Bill.
Enjoy your retirement.
Bill is one of New Canaan’s finest ever…the community will miss you. Thank you for your service to our country and our town.
He was the BEST.
Thank you for your service to America and the New Canaan Police Department. You will be certainly missed! Enjoy your retirement!
Bill: Good Luck as you move on…..congrats on a great career with the NCPD
You will be missed – you are a familiar face around town. Enjoy your retirement and thank you for your service!
Bill – We are grateful for your 50 + years of service to New Canaan. Thank you and congratulations on your retirement!
Thank you, Bill, for watching over my boys when they were growing up, especially
“Jimmie ” who just called me with the news. You will always be a special part of his high school years!
Thanks very much for your decades of service to our town and country! A well deserved retirement!!
Congrats on your retirement, Hope you and Rita have a wonderful time, Thank you for 52 yrs of serving the people of New Canaan, Will always remember the talks we had in Libby’s late at night,Enjoy your time off.
Thank you, Bill. You have always been there for everyone, every single time. And most especially, thank you for all your help and “partnership” with New Canaan EMS – always there, every single time. Enjoy the next chapter in your life.
Thanks for the memories ❤️!
Simply the best , congratulations Bill and thank you for your great service and to make our town so great.
Congratulations Bill! I loved working with you 30 of those great years. So many wonderful times and we weathered a lot of storms. 174 South Av will never be the same without you. Lucky for the town I know you will continue to be a huge and meaningful presence. Wishing you and your family all the best!
Thank you for setting such a great example for younger Police Officers like myself to follow. You did the job the right way, with integrity, bravery and compassion.
Congratulations Bill for your many years of serving the New Canaan community and keeping it a safer place for all of us to live…
will also miss seeing you walking on South Avenue
Congratulations Bill
Congratulations Bill, Thank you for all your service and friendship, go and enjoy your retirement…you deserve it!
Well Bill you beat me by 2 years, enjoy your retirement!
To my favorite LT FERRI,
Wow ! What an amazing career you’ve had !
52 years of service to your community serving everyone, young and old, while helping lots of teens; teaching them life’s golden lessons.
I’m so proud to call you my true friend and know you will be enjoying your retirement with your beautiful wife Rita, your daughters and their families. Thank you Bill for your brave service to our country and in Vietnam Nam,
you are a special one of a kind dedicated man. Have Fun and Enjoy…
YOU ARE THE BEST !! ♥️ 🇺🇸
Mr. Ferri, you not only impacted the community of New Canaan, but Stamford as well. You were the coolest adult in the neighborhood and all of us that grew up in the ‘80’s will remember you playing kickball with us in the cul-da-sac. You helped me get into West Point with your recommendation letter and inspired me to serve in the Army. From one soldier to another, well done Sir! Christopher W. Muller, Colonel (retired), US Army
We were in New Canaan for one day, we had a problem and you helped us by transforming an imperilment into an adventure !
A delightful story that had been told ever since with loads of color and anecdotal facts! And that will stay forever with us.
All all need humanity, humor and care . You were all.
Thank you
I just finished reading Stamford native and former New Canaan High School principal Tony Pavia’s book, he co-wrote with his son Matt-An American Town and the Vietnam War-Stories of Service from Stamford, Connecticut.
It’s a fascinating read of first person accounts of the many Stamford boys who served in Vietnam and it also profiles the twenty-nine soldiers who did not return home.
Pages 48-51 chronicle 19 year old Bill Ferri’s tour of duty in Vietnam; where he was deployed out in the jungle and survived one battle where 180 Americans were killed. He also did very heroic work tracking our causalities after each battle and working in conjunction with Graves Registration.
In his own words Bill returned home from Vietnam by flying into Newark, N. J. from San Francisco and took a bus to NYC. He then he walked to Grand Central still in his Army uniform and got on a train home to Stamford.
He surprised his family and just dropped into his father’s store on West Main Street with all his neighbors screaming “Billy’s home’
It’s an amazing and modest story!!
In my view, for young Bill Ferri to be in a position to become a New Canaan police officer within six months of returning from the hell of ‘Nam, is an incredible achievement; and really says a lot about his strength and character.
AND THEN to serve our town for 52 years and 4 months and adapt to all the changes since he joined the force in ’67 is even more remarkable!
I really enjoyed the video of him signing-off on his patrol car radio.
Again he did it in a very humble and modest way.
We won’t see the likes of a man like that again.
Thank-You Lt. Ferri and please enjoy your well deserved retirement