News

Two New Canaan Police Officers Promoted 

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Town officials last week promoted two longtime members of the New Canaan Police Department. 

The Police Commission during a special meeting April 21 promoted Sgt. Joseph Farenga to lieutenant, and on April 23 promoted Officer Michael O’Sullivan to sergeant, according to Chief Leon Krolikowski. “We are thrilled to have Lt. Farenga and Sgt. O’Sullivan join our leadership team,” Krolikowski told NewCanaanite.com. “Both of these veteran department members will help us lead our department into the future as we all continue to selflessly protect and serve our community.”

Farenga is a 20-year veteran of the department whose past roles include youth sergeant, supervisor of the Motor Enforcement Program, human trafficking instructor and A.L.I.C.E. instructor.

Officials: New Canaan’s Shekaiba Bennett Set To Become First-Ever Woman To Serve on Police Commission

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The Board of Selectmen are scheduled to vote Tuesday on the appointment of the first-ever woman to the New Canaan Police Commission. Shekaiba Bennett is a 16-year resident of the town who has served on the Historic District Commission, Democratic Town Committee, board of the Interfaith Council and New Canaan Library Art and Stoddard Art Committees and is co- chair of the United Nations Committee of New Canaan. Nominated to the selectmen through the DTC, Bennett said she was “deeply honored that I am given this opportunity to serve this town that I love.”

Asked why she pursued a nomination to the Police Commission specifically, she said, “I feel like it’s one of the commissions where you learn a lot about the town and what is going on. My history in the past 16 yrs of being in this town has always been getting involved in things that I can getter understand how the town operates, and I feel like this Commission is one of those that I, as a citizen of this town, can give back to the community.”

A professional documentary photographer and art educator who works as photography teacher at Greenwich High School, she also will be the first woman to serve on the three-member appointed body, officials say. Her nomination comes about 18 months after lifelong New Canaanite Beth Jones became the first woman appointed to the Fire Commission.

COVID-19 New Canaan

Police: Psychiatric Calls Double in March

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New Canaan Police reported Wednesday that psychiatric-related calls doubled year-over-year in March, from four to eight. Though the overall figure remains manageable, Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said he expects the rapid increase to be “a trend we will see continue.”

“And lining up with that was our incident on Friday night,” Krolikowski said during a regular meeting of the Commission, held via videoconference. 

“Officers handled it perfectly, where we had a family member that was irate. Behavioral health issues, under the influence of something, threatening his family members with a knife and wouldn’t let a couple of them leave. Our shift went there, a hostage negotiator went there, the Special Response Team went there, [Deputy Chief] John [DiFederico] and myself went there, and through negotiation he did surrender and was taken into custody on a number of charges. And he will get the help he needs in some way.

COVID-19 New Canaan

New Canaan Police Anticipate Rise in Psychiatric Calls Amid COVID-19 Emergency 

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New Canaan Police through the first two months of 2020 responded to seven calls for psychiatric problems, officials said last week—up from just one the prior year and expected to rise steeply amid the COVID-19 emergency. 

The figure will “continue to increase because of lots of different issues regarding anxiety and bringing out behavioral health issues related to the COVID crisis,” according to Police Chief Leon Krolikowski. 

“So I expect to have more medical calls and more psychiatric calls,” he said during the March 23 meeting of the Police Commission, held via videoconference. 

New Canaan had 48 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 or “COVID-19” as of Tuesday evening, according to Emergency Management Director Mike Handler. Five town residents have died from the virus. Those local businesses allowed to operate during the crisis have changed protocols in order to minimize the risk of transmission. 

Police also have changed the way they work. Krolikowski announced last week that while officers will continue to respond to emergency calls—such as for medical emergencies or crimes-in-progress—they’re now required to limit contact with the public for safety’s sake. Incidents that can be investigated via phone, email or video chat will be handled that way until further notice, the chief said, while access to NCPD headquarters is restricted, the Records Department is closed and fingerprinting is suspended. In reviewing department spending with the Commission, the chief noted that “except for the COVID expenses, our costs will be in budget but my expectation is that over the next several months we will be spending more than normal because of the COVID-19 and that’s going to drive our budget up.”

“I think everybody expects that to happen,” he said.

Government

Greenlink: Police Commission OK’s Request for Crosswalk on Oenoke at Nature Center

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The Police Commission voted 3-0 last week to request state approval for a crosswalk on Oenoke Ridge near the driveway to the New Canaan Nature Center. The crosswalk would help pedestrians using the “greenlink” trail that runs through Irwin Park, Land Trust and Nature Center property get across Route 124 and onto a sidewalk that runs along the eastern side of Oenoke Ridge. “It’s always good to connect the walking trails and encourage people to walk and stay on the sidewalks and not cross in the middle of a road,” Police Deputy Chief John DiFederico said during the Commission’s regular meeting, held Feb. 19 in the training room at New Canaan Police Department headquarters. 

Commission Chair Paul Foley, Secretary Jim McLaughlin and Sperry DeCew voted in favor seeking state approval for the crosswalk. The new “greenlink” trail opened on Earth Day two years ago.