Detective Terry McDonald is one of the most popular officers around the New Haven Police Department these days. He’s going to choose the department’s new boss.
McDonald’s election as New Haven’s mayor last week has put him in an unusual position: He’ll be selecting the replacement for current chief Geoff Robison, who was elected city judge.
“That’s going to be a little strange,” McDonald said.
The wins at the ballot box have put the tiny New Haven Police department of 17 officers in a bit of a bind.
No official can remember the last time two New Haven officers left the department on the same day.
“We’ve had retirements real close together, within a few months,” Robison said. “But this is kind of different.”
Because the department doesn’t have money budgeted to hire new officers until Jan. 1–when Robison and McDonald are off the police payroll and in their new jobs–it will be short-staffed for until the new recruits are trained.
