By Andrew Gorosko

In ceremonies at Newtown Municipal Center on March 17, Julio Tardim, 38, of Danbury was sworn in as a town police officer, bringing the police department's roster up to its full complement of 45 sworn officers.

The police vacancy which Mr Tardim fills was created last September by the retirement of Joe Rios as the police captain.

Police Chief James Viadero said police officials are "very impressed" by Mr Tardim, having selected him from a large field of candidates who sought to be hired to fill the sole police officer vacancy.

Chief Viadero said that Mr Tardim will have a beneficial career as a police officer. "Newtown's a great town," the police chief added.

"We're very fortunate to have you," Chief Viadero said in complimenting Mr Tardim on his becoming a policeman. Several dozen people attended the ceremonies held in the council chambers.

Police Commission member Daniel Rosenthal represented the five-member commission that hired Mr Tardim, telling him, "We have a great [police] department." Commission members quickly realized that Mr Tardim was the best candidate for the job, Mr Rosenthal said.

Town Clerk Debbie Aurelia Halstead administered the two oaths of office, which recruits recite when being sworn in as a police officer.

"This is a 'helping' job," said police Captain Christopher Vanghele, who is the police department's second-in-command. Capt Vanghele described Mr Tardim as "articulate," adding he expects Mr Tardim will perform well in the field of law enforcement.

Mr Tardim said he is happy to have been hired as a police officer. He said he will work to honor the police officer's badge by exhibiting integrity and behavior worthy of the public's trust.

He enjoys talking to people and meeting new people. He said he looks forward to practicing the tenets of "community policing."

Regarding his impressions of the town police department, Mr Tardim said, "I feel very welcomed. I feel I'm going to belong here."

Chief Viadero commented on March 21, "Julio impressed us as a mature, sincere individual. He is fluent in several languages - English, Portuguese, Spanish. His desire to succeed in the law enforcement profession was evident. He is attending [Western Connecticut State University] and studying criminal justice, and has a high grade point average."

The chief added, "His communication skills were quite evident. I believe that his maturity, life experiences, and cultural background will make him a good fit for our agency. Diversity in law enforcement is essential to relating with different members of our community. Most certainly, Julio brings some great credibility in those areas to the agency."

Mr Tardim was born in Duque de Caxias in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In September 2010, he took the oath of allegiance to the United States of America and became a naturalized citizen.

He was a partner in Vitti & Tardim Artistic Painting in Bridgeport from 2004 to 2013.

In 2014, Mr Tardim returned to Brazil for two-and-one-half years and then decided to return to the US and has lived in the Danbury area since then.

Mr Tardim will attend the Bridgeport Police Academy for five months for basic training in law enforcement, after which he will return to Newtown for a period of field training. He is expected to be on independent patrol in Newtown late this year.