Recruitment Consultant Considered for Police Chief Hire
NEWINGTON - It’ll be about three months before Town Manager John Salomone appoints a new police chief to replace the recently retired Richard Mulhall, but for now he’s focusing on bringing in someone to help with the hiring process.

       Salomone has talked about the possibility of bringing a recruiting consultant in to help screen candidates for the position, and now he thinks that he has found one. It’s not official yet, but Massachusetts-based Badge Quest appears to have been tapped for the role. Salomone made the announcement at last Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.

       â€"I wanted a consultant that didn’t have ties internally in Connecticut and could take a fresh look from outside,” Salomone said during the meeting.

       Salomone said that the decision will be made following a final review process that includes outlining the scope of services the firm will provide. The selected consultant will begin work by Jan. 26, he said.

       Although the town manager has the final say as to who the new police chief will be, the Town Council will have the opportunity to weigh in through interviews that will be conducted by the search firm. This is to establish what characteristics they will be looking for in a candidate, Salomone said.

       â€"That’s different than the job description, which is very formalized,” he said. â€"That [the Council interviews] relates to personal attributes.”

       If all goes well, Newington will have its new chief by mid-to-late April, Salomone said.

       â€"This doesn’t happen very often,” he said. â€"I’m pleased that at this point, it’s moving along well.”

       It has only happened three times in the past 35 years. Mulhall took the position in 2002, replacing the retired Richard Klett.

       Mulhall started his career as a police dispatcher and cadet in Farmington in 1971. He moved onto Avon in 1972 before being appointed Captain of the Bloomington Police Department in 1986. Nine years later, he became Chief there. He also headed the Governor’s 9-1-1 Emergency Commission from 2008-2011.

       Residents have expressed a desire to see internal candidates considered, and Salomone has said that he is in the process of reviewing those from both within and outside the police department.

       â€"I often hear that beyond the Town Manager, the most important position is the Chief of Police,” Councilor Terry Borjeson said during the meeting. â€"So we really need to get a good candidate.”

       In the meantime, Newington Police Lieutenant Nicolas Miano is temporarily filling the role. He started with Mulhall’s official retirement Dec. 27.

       That takes him out of the running for the permanent chief, but he said that he was not planning on applying for the position anyway.

       â€"It’s difficult enough to run the Department without worrying about interviews, and I don’t want people to think there’s any lobbying going on, or that somebody has a leg up,” Salomone said at the Council’s Dec. 9 meeting, during which Mulhall announced his retirement.

       Miano also served as the interim police chief when the town was transitioning between Klett and Mulhall.
MORE NEWINGTON NEWS  |  STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA  |  Jan 21 2015  |  COMMENTS?