Date: Fri 12-Mar-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Kehoe-police-captain-Carney

Full Text:

Police Promote Kehoe To Second In Command

(with photo)

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

The Police Commission has named 20-year police department veteran Michael

Kehoe as the department's new captain, replacing Owen Carney who retired as

captain late last month.

Captain Kehoe, 43, who served as a sergeant since July 1997, began work as the

department's second-in-command March 5.

"I'm ecstatic and looking forward to new challenges and responsibilities,"

Capt Kehoe said this week.

"I was surprised, very surprised," he said of his elevation to the rank of

captain. There were three very qualified officers seeking the post, he said.

Besides Kehoe, Police Commission members interviewed sergeants Henry Stormer

and Joe Rios in closed session March 4 before naming Kehoe as captain. David

Lydem, the police department's only lieutenant, didn't apply for the captain's

post.

"I've got to be really in tune with the operations of the department. It's a

multi-purpose, multi-functional type of job," Capt Kehoe said.

Besides overseeing the patrol and detective units, the captain's duties

involve supervising the records unit, dispatching, communications and

training.

Capt Kehoe said he is looking forward to working a standard weekday daytime

schedule. As a patrol sergeant for the past two years, he worked on a rotating

shift, sequentially working weeks of day, evening and night shifts.

Of his duties as captain, Kehoe said "I'm going to try to be very

observant...I think it's going to be an operational learning experience."

Capt Kehoe said there are many challenges which face him in his new role.

"It's all new responsibilities," he said, adding that much of his work will

involve implementing departmental plans and resolving conflicts as they arise.

Of his rise from the police department's school resource officer to captain in

less than two years, Capt Kehoe said it was a big advancement for him in a

relatively short period of time.

The captain said he will work to maintain a well-disciplined police

department, which provides the highest quality service to the public.

Of the Police Commission's captain selection process, commission Chairman

James Reilly said "We had three good candidates. They all made good

presentations. All three were good representatives of their department. We

thank them all for their participation in the selection process."

Capt Kehoe has wide experience in various aspects of police work, Mr Reilly

said. "It was a position that we wanted to fill as quickly as possible," Mr

Reilly added.

Mr Reilly and Police Commission members Robert Connor, Jr, William Meyer and

Charles Pilchard voted to promote Kehoe. Commission member Carol Mattegat

didn't attend the March 4 session.

Formal swearing-in ceremonies for Capt Kehoe are scheduled for 10 am Friday,

March 12, at the police station.

Chief

The three men vying for the captain's post were very qualified for the job,

making it a difficult task to choose the person for the post, said Police

Chief James E. Lysaght, Jr.

Chief Lysaght said of Kehoe "I think he brings a particular professional

approach to leadership and administration in the department." Chief Lysaght

said Kehoe is a well-respected officer with an outstanding record who has a

broad base of contacts in town through his extensive police work.

"I really believe I can work well with Mike Kehoe," Chief Lysaght said.

"The department is looking at a new era of excellence and performance and

service to the public," the chief said.

The captain's position is an especially important one in the police

department, Chief Lysaght said. The captain coordinates the activities of the

patrol unit and the detective unit and facilitates communication within the

department, the chief said.

As the police department's captain, Kehoe will serve as the unit's executive

officer, assuming command of the department in the absence of the police

chief. He also will serve as commander of the department's operations bureau.

Kehoe has served in a number of jobs on the police department: patrol officer,

member of the Statewide Narcotics Task Force, youth officer, DARE officer,

school resource officer, certified police instructor, grants administrator,

coordinator of the Citizen's Police Academy, acting sergeant, and patrol

sergeant.

Kehoe holds a master's degree in business administration from Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute, a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration

from Western Connecticut State University and an associate's degree in police

science administration from Tunxis Community College.

He has attended many police development programs concerning subjects such as

juvenile service, tactical operations, supervision and administration.

Kehoe is married and has two sons. He participates in various youth service

activities such as the Boy Scouts of America and Connecticut Special Olympics.

Kehoe's promotion to captain creates a sergeant's vacancy which is expected to

be filled by late summer. Officer Raymond Thompson is serving as an acting

sergeant. Currently, there is no eligibility list for a sergeant's promotion

at the police department. The sergeant testing process will be started to

create an eligibility list from which a new sergeant will be chosen.