Chief Strillacci Celebrates Retirement

A crowd of 150 family, friends, and associates gathered Sunday afternoon at Farmington Gardens in Farmington for a luncheon celebrating the retirement of Chief James Strillacci.

Strillacci, who in October, has been a member of the West Hartford Police Department since 1976 and chief since January 1992. He joked that seeing everyone at the luncheon was almost like being a guest at his own funeral.

"It's like 'This is Your Life,'" Strillacci said. "There are chiefs here, people from the [West Hartford Police] department, wrestling friends, running friends."

"We're going to miss him so much. He's given the police such credible image and substance for the past 19 years," said Carroll Hughes, president of Hughes & Cronin Public Affairs Strategies, Inc. who was a featured speaker at the luncheon. Hughes helped mentor Strillacci when he was first appointed chief.

Former West Hartford Town Manager Barry Feldman talked about first meeting Strillacci during a ride-along in a patrol car on New Year's Eve 1990, and immediately being impressed. When then-chief Robert McCue announced that he would retire at the end of 1991, Feldman asked members of the department to apply. Strillacci stood out, even though he had only recently been promoted to lieutenant.

Feldman believed that the chief had to be the town manager's right-hand man, and Strillacci clearly lived up to that role.

Mayor Scott Slifka thanked Strillacci mentioned how impressed he was by the way Strillacci and the rest of the department stepped up and worked "outside the box" to do whatever was needed during the aftermath of October's devastating Nor'easter.

Cromwell Police Chief Anthony Salvatore said he has worked with Strillacci since 1995. "He has been a huge asset to Connecticut law enforcement and we are really going to miss him," Salvatore said.

Town Council member Steve Adler praised Strillacci for his impact on the Connecticut Chiefs of Police Association's legislative efforts as well as his role with the West Hartford department. "He matured the department to a top-tier level of professionalism," Adler said.

Town Manager Ron Van Winkle said the town will miss Strillacci's "quick and incredible wit."

"Jim is famous for his puns. In the middle of a serious conversation, he'll toss in a line and everyone will pause and laugh," Van Winkle said.

Representatives from the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association addressed the gathering, as did Scot Sanderson, Strillacci's former wrestling coach at the University of Hartford. Sanderson said Strillacci, who was one of the best college wrestlers in New England, always "went the extra mile." Strillacci has helped coach the Conard wrestling team for many years.

Strillacci will leave his position at the end of this year and will move to South Carolina with his wife, Liz, who is looking forward to spending more time with him. Strillacci said that he is confident the next chief will do a great job.

There has not yet been an official announcement regarding his successor, either on an interim or permanent basis. "I hope to have an answer next week," Van Winkle said.