A former Newtown police chief is seeking to have a judge order that an arbitrator be named to settle a dispute between him and the Town of Newtown concerning his police pension benefits, as referenced in a March 1996 agreement between the former chief and the town.

Legal representatives for the town and for Michael DeJoseph are scheduled to meet in state Superior Court in Bridgeport on August 28 for a court hearing on the matter before a judge.

Attempts to reach attorney Frederick D. Paoletti, Jr, who represents Mr DeJoseph, were unsuccessful.

First Selectman Pat Llodra said August 23 that the issue for which Mr DeJoseph is seeking arbitration involves Mr DeJoseph's pension benefits. It is unclear what specific aspect of his pension is at issue.

During his law enforcement career, Mr DeJoseph served as a police patrol officer and later a detective, eventually becoming a supervisor, before being promoted to the position of police chief.

He served as police chief from 1988 to 1996, when he retired from the police department. He later worked for the Amtrak Police Department as its director of planning and development, plus other Amtrak police posts.

Mr DeJoseph and the town were parties to a March 29, 1996, agreement that took effect on his departure from the Newtown Police Department. That pact covers many topics including his police officer pension benefits.

Under the terms of that departure agreement, if any disputes should arise about the terms of the pact and those disputes are not resolved informally, the matter would be submitted to an arbitrator, who is mutually acceptable to the town and to Mr DeJoseph, as the exclusive remedy to settle a dispute.

In court papers, Mr DeJoseph states that he and the town are not able to agree upon an arbitrator. By going to court on the matter, Mr DeJoseph is seeking to have a judge order that arbitration occur to resolve the dispute, with the arbitrator selected by a judge.

Mr DeJoseph, became the town's second police chief, following the late Louis Marchese, who had headed the police department from its formation in 1971 until 1987.