Det Sgt Tvardzik Retires After 32 Years in Law Enforcement

By Andrew Gorosko

As he prepares to leave the police department where he has spent nearly a third of a century enforcing the law, two-thirds of which as a detective, Robert Tvardzik says he will miss the work.

But Detective Sergeant Tvardzik, 53, who has headed the police department’s detective division since late 2002, reflects, “It’s time to move on. I’m looking forward to some time off and doing something different….It’s been a long time and it’s time to do something different... I know it’s time to move on.”

Det Sgt Tvardzik, who has worked as a police officer since age 21, said this week he plans to play some golf, work around the house, and continue coaching the Little League All-Stars in Trumbull. He said he plans to seek new employment in the future.

“There’s a lot of things in the job I’m going to miss [especially] the people,” Det Sgt Tvardzik said.

“It’s a hard job. Dealing with people’s adversity is difficult. Seeing people at their worst can wear you down…It’s a stressful job that you take home with you,” he said.

“I always felt like I was helping people,” he said, adding that over the years, he has come to know some of the people that he had occasion to arrest, after those people overcame the difficulties that led to their arrests.

Noting that police work has changed since he became an officer 32 years ago, Det Sgt Tvardzik said the police department has made strides in technology, equipment, and officer training, evolving from a small unit to a larger organization.

“We’re hiring very capable people,” he said.

The operational nature of police work has changed much since the mid 1970s, growing in legal complexity and procedural sophistication, Det Sgt Tvardzik said. The department was formed in 1971.

Det Sgt Tvardzik said he was attracted to police work after his late brother Bill had become a Newtown police officer. Bill Tvardzik, who was eight years older than Robert, began as a police officer in 1971 and worked in Newtown for about a decade as a patrolman and then as a detective.

After becoming a policeman, Det Sgt Tvardzik said he drew motivation from his ability to solve criminal cases.

While at the police department, Det Sgt Tvardzik served as a patrolman, a patrol sergeant, a detective, a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer, a public information officer, a court liaison officer, a hostage negotiator, and eventually as the detective sergeant heading the detective division. He served on the Newtown Police Union’s executive board for more than 20 years.

The detective sergeant’s post is a “working supervisory” position, combining administrative tasks and participation in major investigations. The police patrol unit typically turns over its complex cases to the detective division for investigatory follow-up work.

Det Sgt Tvardzik has taken part in many major criminal investigations, including the Hell’s Angels fatal shootout in Sandy Hook Center in 1976, the infamous woodchipper murder in 1987, a double-murder/suicide on Thanksgiving morning in 1993, the Sandy Hook street corner shooting death of 15-year-old Jason Gowdy in July 1999, and multiple bank robberies since 2000.

Det Sgt Tvardzik said that law enforcement challenges which police will face include society’s expanding drug abuse problem and the increasing extent of Internet-based crimes. Young people seemingly have no fear of the consequences of drug abuse, he said.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said that when Det Sgt Tvardzik leaves the police department on July 14, much “institutional knowledge” will be leaving with him. Besides his leadership qualities, Det Sgt Tvardzik has an ability to organize criminal investigations that then result in arrests, the police chief said.

“He served the department well. He’s been a fine addition to this department,” said Police Commission Chairman Carol Mattegat.

Lieutenant James Mooney said of Det Sgt Tvardzik, “He has always been a true gentleman…He would always assist you in any manner. He never looked down upon you when you were asking or trying to learn…He truly cared about his work and fellow officers...He always interacted with the public — good, bad or indifferent — as one human being to another...He has taught me much in my career…He will be sorely missed as a mentor, teacher, co-worker and investigator.” When Lt Mooney joined the police department, Det Sgt Tvardzik had been on the job for about a decade.

David Lydem, who retired from the police department as a lieutenant in 2002 after almost 35 years of service, said Det Sgt Tvardzik is “probably one of the best officers that ever came through the Newtown Police Department, if not the best.” Det Sgt Tvardzik has probably been involved in every major local crime investigation during the past 25 years, Mr Lydem noted.

Det Sgt Tvardzik demonstrated intelligence, a keen memory, dependability, hard work, and compassion, Mr Lydem said, adding, “He will be missed.”