Mayor Bill Finch on Friday appointed Joe Gaudett, acting police chief for more than two years, to a five-year term. No surprise. The mayor and Gaudett get along well and Finch wants someone responsive in an election year when crime could be a major issue.
I spent Friday afternoon in several neighborhoods talking to homeowners and downtown business owners. The top thing on their mind was crime. Several downtown businesses in the past week have suffered break-ins. Neighborhood homeowners expressed the same concerns. Under Civil Service rules approved by voters 20 years ago in a charter amendment the police chief is appointed by the mayor to a five-year term with a mayoral option for another five-year term. Mayor’s news release:
Mayor Finch Names Joseph L. Gaudett To Police Chief Post
(December 17, 2010) – Mayor Bill Finch today named Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. to the post of Bridgeport Police Chief, effective immediately.
Gaudett, who had been serving as Acting Chief since October 2008, was one of three finalists after a nationwide search. Mayor Finch interviewed the three finalists and made the final decision on who would become the next chief.
“Chief Gaudett is a great leader; he believes in the community policing concept and has worked diligently over the past two years to broaden police presence in our neighborhoods, keeping an eye on crime patterns, and bringing the department’s overtime budget in line with the City’s overall budget. I have the utmost confidence in his ability to lead the department as we move forward,” said Mayor Bill Finch.
Gaudett, 50, was promoted to Deputy Chief in February of 2007. He has been on the force since 1983.
“I am honored to be chosen by the Mayor to be the department’s permanent leader. I plan to do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition by working with my fellow officers and union members to continue to keep the Park City a safe city for all its residents,” Chief Gaudett said.
“We’re confident that Acting Chief Gaudett will be able to make a successful transition from his acting role to that of permanent chief,” said Police Chief search committee chair Rev. Simon Castillo. “We were pleased with all the candidates we presented to the Mayor and believe we made the best choice.”
Gaudett was born in Bridgeport and attended St. Augustine’s School through the 8th grade. He graduated from Fairfield College Preparatory School, then attended Fairfield University and the University of Bridgeport. He joined the Bridgeport police force as a patrolman in 1983.
Gaudett comes from a family of police officers. His father, Joseph L. Gaudett Sr. was a Bridgeport police officer who retired in 1980, and his grandfather served for nearly 40 years as a railroad police officer. His older sister is retired from the Bridgeport force and another sister is married to a retired sergeant.
Gaudett lives with his wife and two children in Newtown.
Question for the new Chief …
Is it your intention to move back to Bridgeport?
Newtown is pretty nice, but it’s not Bridgeport.
Why is it so important that he live in Bridgeport? For years, when Bridgeport was a hub of manufacturing, men and women came to work in the city only to go home to suburbia after. Worked okay as far as I could see.
Ha! Dumb question ~~~ too much crime in Bpt ~~~ The newbie/oldie chief might get mugged. He must be a hell of a ballplayer though ~~~ for Finchymeister to hand him a contract. Whatever you say Boss Bird ~~~ Guady do for you
Two good appointments in 1 week. What, did someone spike the water at the Annex? Nah, we’re heading into an election year!
*** Smart politically correct choice for the Mayor but how do the men in blue on the front lines feel about it? *** Also, the mayor needs the minority votes, so Ms. Horton better make most of her changes & recommendations @ the Health Dept. soon! Odds are she’ll get dumped after the next election if not playing ball for the Mayor’s team, no? *** The more things change, the more they stay the same. *** OIB ***
Lennie, it’s not a “Gig.” It’s a tough job with great responsibilities. Good one Bridgeport Girl, I don’t think the water was spiked. If it were many others would be making good decisions. I agree with Carolanne Curry and don’t like the Newtown thing. I like the New Chief in Town thing.
Mojo to be honest not all cops are happy. But had another person been chosen, there still would have been an unhappy bunch sooner or later. Yes, it’s an election year and one must prepare very early to prevent any “Big Wave” from sweeping City Hall. Don’t count Finch out just yet. Finch does have a high favorable opinion in Bridgeport. Don’t confuse Bridgeport with Only in Bridgeport. Sure, the Bridgeport delegation selected Chris Caruso to lead them. But will they have the balls to support an effort calling for a Financial Review Board for example? No, they won’t. They always lacked balls and aren’t stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds them. Heck, they don’t even dare to ask the Council President for budgetary transparency–let alone demand it. Bridgeport is looking good–on the surface at least. Have any of you noticed the freshly paved roads? That’s part of a familiar strategy from the Ganim years. Finch is paving the road to City Hall. Paging Bill Finch. Don’t let the utility companies fuck them all up. I’ve been sneakingly (you sneaky S.O.B.) monitoring the Regional Waste Treatment negotiations and it looks like there is a good chance the administration will pull it off. It’s still too early to tell. If Finch pulls it off, the Big Wave may just have a smoother way to travel back to the ocean. As for the Republicans, well, I’ll let Mojo finish it with his favorite phrase.
Note to Lennie:
I’m a member of the web site: www .blazerforum.com
On it, whenever I notice any misspellings, I am able to go back and correct them myself. Get with the program!
Now where is TC?
Here I am trying to make sense of your posts.
Unlike Lennie, he makes Dollars and Cents from my posts. I did catch up with you and attacked you both (you and Lennie) on the Health Director post.
OH! HUM!!!
The appointment of Gaudett: OH HUM!!!
Just another person Finch appointed to control … Finch knows Gaudett will not rock the boat and continue to work along with this administration to cover up crime and downgrade charges for statistics. What a shame …
Now this is the type of transparent government that we expected out of Finch.
He wanted to appoint BOTH white guys who were finalists for Health Director AND Police Chief. But someone told him that would be crazy. So he appoints the African-American woman to the Health Dept because he has no use for that job anyhow. She will be told to turn everything over to Lud and Optimus to be privatized.
If Horton does not have a four-year contract in hand by the end of March she had better be ready to walk and make a public issue out of this or Finch will get rid of HER the first chance he gets.
Grin, Kristen won’t sell out the health dept. Don’t confuse her with the director of Social Services and her stone-faced assistant. They plotted for two years to lose the WIC program to Optimus. Major conflict of interest as the director of SS is on the Optimus board. I may have said this before that I have close friends in WIC. They will tell you their supervisors never gave a damn about them. Worked them like dogs and then sold them out. Kristen should be careful with this dubious duo as they cannot be trusted.
Come on Speedy Gonzalez. Let’s cut out this suck-up crap. The other day you are talking about how much great work you did with Finch on the council, now you are sucking up to your boss in the PD. It definitely does not become you.
You must have gotten some real down-to-earth threats from the powers that be in the Finch Administration.
This is so unlike you Joel, it is embarrassing.
Grin Reaper, let’s cut out this suck-up crap. You go ahead and follow your own advice. Sucking up is one thing I do as best I can, including at the Police Chief’s Office. You see, that is part of my job. Part of my responsibility is to make sure the rugs at the Police Dept are sucked up with the vacuum cleaner. What I posted days ago about the most aggressive effort to clean up the City is true and Bill Finch was a Council member during that time period. Finch and I are not the only ones who deserve credit for this and to be honest we (council members) hardly got any–Joe Ganim got most of the credit. I have not gotten any threats from anyone in or out of the Finch Administration or the Police Department. In fact, I have gotten compliments from just about every one in the building on the job I do. I’m not embarrassed but I do admit it makes me blush. You Grin should be embarrassed. You made it clear that you don’t suck up. I can imagine the smell and dust in your home. Try blogging after you suck up like I do.
Grin, you noticed that too? What’s up Joel?
Hector, do you suck up around the house?
I think Joel’s OIB account has been hacked.
Grin, did you hack Joel’s account?
Joel, you are wrong when you say the Bridgeport community outside of OIB holds a favorable opinion on Finch and his administration! DEAD WRONG!!! Who are you talking to? Or the real question is not talking to! The overall opinion is NOT a good one!
I believe the only ones happy with the Mayor right now are not Bridgeport residents (even those IN the administration).
I always say, “We can agree to disagree, screw those who disagree with this concept.”
Joel,
“Not all cops are happy?”
They had an overwhelming vote of no-confidence in the guy. This is the Finch Admin pissed at the police local for not coming to the table so they feel they can rub their faces in it.
Another bad move by the admin.
True, but that was over a year ago and not all cops voted for the no-confidence vote. You make no mention that the Police Union also voted for a new Police Union President.
Lennie, on the possible candidates for Mayor. Do you think any of them have considered who they will run along side them on the ticket, i.e. Town Clerk and City Clerk?
Hector,
Does this mean your mom will come back to Bridgeport to run your campaign for City Clerk or Town Clerk?
We know she is the true engine behind the Diaz political machine!
Hector never did an honest day’s work in his life. Sorry, have to say it like it is. One political job after another. The women who are town clerk and city clerk now actually come to work.
Grin, if one of the candidates were to offer me a position I would definitely entertain the idea of bringing back my mom to help out. My mom has been working campaigns since Adam Clayton Powell Senior ran for congress and would certainly be an asset to any campaign. You are a Wise man Grin and I like them more than I do Santa.
Fixer, you know so much? What political job after job have I held, better yet why don’t you tell us who you are so we could verify your work experience. Are you a man/woman or a mouse? Peep up or squeak up.
Now aside from me being a candidate. The women who have those seats would have to pick a candidate to support and if any of the candidates for Mayor were to pick either of the current Town/City clerks wouldn’t they be working WITH those powers (political machines) they’ve been criticizing?
Hector, did you forget how it works? The Town Committees are the ones that have to pick (by a small majority) who the candidates will be. The Mayor’s first priority is to get the endorsement. From experience and past examples, the top of the ticket doesn’t worry too much about the underticket with the exception of the Council seats, whose support they will need if elected mayor. Then it is up to those who didn’t get the endorsement to decide if they’ll run and under what ticket. It’s too early to tell. You do bring up and important part to watch. Will Chris Caruso be able to put together a whole slate in the event he doesn’t get the Democratic Party endorsement?
Speaking of public safety, do we know of any Giants fans out there in need of sobriety or health checks, or both?
I’m glad I’m not a Giants fan. Go Jets!!!