Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe’s announcement this week of his retirement seven months from now comes at a difficult time for the Newtown Police Department. Whenever a law enforcement agency faces allegations that one of its own has been flagrantly breaking the law rather enforcing it, as happened to the NPD in April, those in charge have some explaining to do. Of course, there is no explaining away criminal activity within a police department, which is supposed to be the heart of vigilance, discipline, and integrity in a community. As a veteran law enforcement professional with a long career marked by responsibility and duty, Chief Kehoe understands this as well as anyone.

At 60 years old, the police chief is approaching, but not at, normal retirement age. Still, he said this week that he has been considering retirement for several years and concluded that now was an appropriate time to set the transition to a new police chief in motion. Chief Kehoe’s decision put the community’s interest over his own self-interest. It will bring a new face to the head of local police ranks next year and will go a long way toward conveying to the people of Newtown that things really are changing at NPD after the ignominious arrests of a police sergeant and a emergency communications dispatcher earlier this spring.

Michael Kehoe has brought many gifts and talents to this community in his nearly 37 years of service here. Timing his departure for the benefit of the town, rather than his own, is yet more evidence of his professionalism and dedication to service.