Patrol Officers Promoted To Posts Of Sergeant, Detective

By Andrew Gorosko

Two men who joined the police department at the same time in October 2003 have each been promoted by the Police Commission, with one becoming a patrol sergeant and the other being named a detective.

The Police Commission recently promoted Domenic Costello, 31, to the rank of sergeant. The agency named Daniel McAnaspie, 32, to the post of detective. The promotions occurred on the same day.

As a uniformed sergeant, Mr Costello will supervise between four and eight patrol officers working on a given patrol shift, overseeing their roving work in the field.

As a plainclothes detective, Mr McAnaspie will be involved in long-term, complex investigations and will work in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.

The men attended the state’s municipal police academy together in 2003-04 in receiving basic training on becoming a police officer.

In an interview, Sergeant Costello said he will be involved in supervising the patrol aspect of police work.

After initially working as a patrolman, Sgt Costello became the department’s school resource officer for Newtown High School in August 2006, serving in that post for two years. In that role, he assisted school administrators with law enforcement in a school environment, including student discipline. School resource officers also have an educational function, serving as mentors, role models, or exemplars for students who seek their counsel.

“I loved it. It was a great experience for me,” Sgt Costello said of his work as a resource officer. During his second year in that post, he also worked as the school resource officer for Newtown Middle School.

Sgt Costello said he especially liked the teaching aspect of the job, explaining to students topics such as crime scene investigations and drunken driving enforcement.

Employing the educational aspect of police work on a broader scale, Sgt Costello has coordinated the police department’s Citizen Police Academy for the past two years. That annual free program provides the general public with an informational overview of local law enforcement within the context of the criminal justice system.

Sgt Costello graduated from Fairfield University in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2002 with a law degree. He grew up in Bridgeport.

He later worked as a law clerk for a judge in Bridgeport, as a research associate for a law firm, and as a human resources director for mental health clinic, before becoming a police officer.

Since becoming a sergeant, he has spent time reviewing the work of patrol officers, he said.

Sgt Costello said he enjoys the challenges posed by police work and its opportunities for human interaction.

Sgt Costello has explained that law enforcement is in his blood, with many of his relatives either having served or now serving as police officers. Those include his grandfather, father, uncle, and two brothers-in-law. His keen interest in law enforcement became apparent while growing up in an environment where police work was a common topic of conversation.

Sgt Costello has said, “I’m very outgoing. I like talking. I like starting conversations.” A golfer and an avid New York Yankees fan, the policeman enjoys spectator sports.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said of Sgt Costello, “He was the ‘number one’ candidate after the [promotional] process was concluded.” Six people sought the sergeant’s post which Sgt Costello filled.

The police chief said the new sergeant is “a very valuable employee with a lot of skills, abilities, and knowledge [who is] well suited to become a sergeant.”

“Now, he has new responsibilities,” Chief Kehoe added.

Detective

Mr McAnaspie filled a detective’s post at the police department which had long been vacant due to a staffing shortage at the organization.

“I always wanted to be an investigator,” Detective McAnaspie said.

While patrol officers are the police who initially respond to a broad range of calls for help, it is the detectives who pursue in depth and in detail the lengthy investigations that are required in complex cases.

As such, Det McAnaspie will be receiving specialized police training for investigations. Detectives typically handle investigations on burglaries, robberies, larcenies, and narcotics, as well those focusing on more serious crimes such as homicides and sexual assaults.

So far, Det McAnaspie has found that his investigations entail a mixture of independent work and interaction with members of the patrol division.

In certain cases, he would serve as a lead investigator with the support of other police officers. “I like the work,” he said.

Since becoming a detective, Det McAnaspie has been focusing on solving some recent burglaries. He is working to establish specific facts in those cases in seeking to assemble the clues that would lead to arrests, ensuing prosecutions and convictions.

Det McAnaspie is well versed in police work. having spent four years as a New York City police patrolman in the North Bronx. “Burglaries are burglaries” whether they occur in New York City or in Newtown, he said.

While working a patrolman in the past, Det McAnaspie found investigating motor vehicle accidents to be interesting work. But the challenge posed for detectives involves pursuing investigatory leads of a different sort, he said.

When such leads are fruitful, “you know you’re getting closer and closer to the person you’re looking for,” he said. He looks forward to receiving specialized training in crime scene investigations. He said he hopes to solve a high percentage of cases that he investigates.

Det McAnaspie, who grew up in Peekskill, N.Y., graduated from Westchester Community College with an associate’s degree in criminal justice. It was in college that he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement.

The detective enjoys playing soccer, as well participating in triathlons involving swimming, running, and bicycling.

Chief Kehoe said of Det McAnaspie, “He showed a keen interest in detective work,” adding that Det McAnaspie achieved the highest score on a written test for the post.

“He certainly knew his stuff. He has the skills, knowledge, and ability to do a fine job as a detective,” Chief Kehoe said.

“We expect a [detective] who is able to multitask and be able to carry through an investigation in which very complex matters are involved,” the police chief said. “We will expose him to every type of investigation,” the chief added.

Detectives require good networking skills in view of their continuing work with other law enforcement agencies, Chief Kehoe said.