For Chief Gove, A New Team Moves Into Place

Chief Tracey Gove promoted six officers and announced seven new assignments Friday at Town Hall in another clear sign that the are under new management.

The promotions included two new lieutenants, Andrew Schiffer and Frank Fallon, who are each from West Hartford high schools.

“I’ve looked at all the parts in our department, areas that need building, and I’ve kind of put the round peg in the round hole,” Gove said.

More than 100 police, town officials, friends and family were on hand for the badge ceremony and to honor three officers who are retiring, including , who was the 2011 Police Officer of the Year.

Semper has joined the police force at the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Det. Thomas Ganley, a former DEA Task Force member, is joining the Middletown police. Officer David Cavedon, a former fixture in the Community Relations Division, is retiring to be a bail bonds agent.

“It’s tough to lose that experience but at the same time we’re getting young people into those positions who are fresh and energetic with new ideas and technology,” Gove said.

In January after a , Gove, who was in December, made his first upper management moves. He named assistant chief, alongside Robert McCue, and David Dubiel and Daniel Coppinger captains.

“This has been an unusual time because not only did we have [Chief James Strillacci’s position] open, which we haven’t had in 20 years, but an had gone, a captain had gone, and we had a lot of openings,” Gove said. “It was beneficial for me because it’s just nice to put your people where you want them.”

Schiffer, an 18-year WHPD veteran, and Fallon (16 years) are moving from the detective division to lieutenants in the patrol. Among their accomplishments, Schiffer was Police Officer of the Year in 2005 and Fallon is a polygraph specialist.

Schiffer went to and Fallon to .

Officers Eric Rocheleau and Joseph Creaco, also former Police Officers of the Year, were each promoted to sergeant and assigned to patrol. Officers Emanuele Birritteri and Rosario Savastra were made detectives.

Savastra's six-year parternship with  also is ending. Reign, who is 9 1/2-years-old, is retiring, Gove said.

Gove also moved Lt. Jeffrey Rose to Youth Services; Lt. Jeremy Clark to special investigations; Lt. Roger Brancoforte to traffic; Sgt. Michael Perruccio to the community interaction team; Sgts. Christopher Chappell and Kevin McCarthy to the detective squad; and Det. Robert Magao to special investigations.

“I’m hopeful all of the top-heavy transfers and the promotions that I’m making will work out very well for the department,” Gove said.

Gove said the department will continue to stress community relations.

“That’s vital,” he said. “Every chief talks about community relations and how they want their officers to reach out and be responsive in the community, which I want too. But there’s the other side to it that we sometimes forget: They have to be that tough street cop … you have to take care of business. You have to have both sides.”