Chief Porter Announces Assistant Chief Appointments

News release from Chief Porter:

Today, Chief Porter announced two new appointments for Assistant Chief of Police for the Bridgeport Police Department.

Paul Grech – Assistant Chief of Police

Paul Grech has been a dedicated member of the Bridgeport Police Department since 2000, quickly distinguishing himself through his commitment to community policing. He played a key role in the creation of a nationally recognized community-based crime prevention unit, which has had a lasting impact amongst the City of Bridgeport community.

During his career as a supervisor, Grech seized the opportunity to diversify his knowledge base, having been challenged in key roles, including but not limited to the following: the Patrol Division, the Office of Internal Affairs, the Police Academy, the Civil Service Commission, the Neighborhood Enforcement Team, Purchasing, Grants, and Contract Negotiations.

In 2012, Grech was appointed officer-in-charge of school police and security for the Board of Education, overseeing daily security operations for the city’s 37 public schools. He pioneered a collaborative effort that was responsible for the reduction of in-school-based arrests utilizing diversionary programs. He continued to rise through the ranks, eventually taking charge of the department’s State and Federal Task Forces.

In 2016, Grech spearheaded the planning, funding, and establishment of the department’s Fusion Center, a major milestone in the implementation of intelligence-driven proactive policing. His efforts demonstrated his initiative to prioritize threat-related information sharing between the Bridgeport Police Department and its surrounding local, state, and federal partners.

Grech has been an advocate for transparency and accountability within the Bridgeport Police Department. He measures his success by not what he has done today, but what he will accomplish tomorrow. Throughout his tenure, he has revolutionized the department’s technology division and protocols. Utilizing various modern, innovative systems as force-multipliers, he has expedited response time to critical incidents and vastly increased the solvability rate of investigations.

In 2022, Grech was promoted to Captain, overseeing day-shift patrol operations while continuing to manage School Police and Security, Grants, and the Fusion Center. In addition to these responsibilities, he is in collaboration with the City’s business leaders in ensuring the safety and security of local special events and our growing entertainment district. His tireless dedication to improving both the Bridgeport Police Department and its relationship with the community has set him apart as not only a visionary leader but as the epitome of what a police officer should strive to be.

Frank Capozzi – Assistant Chief of Police

Bridgeport Assistant Chief Frank Capozzi has twenty-nine years of Law Enforcement experience, twenty-five of which were served with the Waterbury Police Department, rising through the rank of Captain.  Upon retiring from the Waterbury Police Department, Assistant Chief Capozzi was a Police Inspector for the Division of Criminal Justice, working in the prestigious Office of Inspector General in which he investigated numerous cases involving the most controversial subject in law enforcement, the use of deadly force.  These investigations included many high-profile cases such as the assassination of the two Bristol Police Officers regarding Nicholas Brutcher, Mubarak Soulemane, and Huntley Jackson.

Assistant Chief Capozzi obtained a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of New Haven, graduating with honors.  He has both a bachelor’s degree and an associate degree in Finance and Management from Post University.  He also graduated from the Police Executive Research Forum in Boston, MA.

Prior to graduating from Post University, Assistant Chief Capozzi served four years in the United States Marines Corps, receiving an Armed Forces Expeditionary Force Medal for his service in Somalia, a National Defense Service Medal, a Good Conduct Medal, a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and graduated from Airborne School.

During his tenure at Waterbury Police Department and Office of Inspector General, he was heavily involved in community outreach and the training of active law enforcement officers and agencies in the state of Connecticut.  In his position in Waterbury as Commander of the Juvenile Division, he developed such programs as the Juvenile Review Board, Project Safe Neighborhoods for Juveniles, the Fifth Grade Initiative (which is an anti-gang, drug, and gun program), and the Youth Violence Prevention Unit.  In his position as Police Inspector with the Office of Inspector General, he built and maintained relationships on a statewide basis with various community groups.