#Bridgeport, Conn. (November 27, 2015) – Today, Mayor Bill Finch announced that he is reappointing Police Chief Joseph Gaudett Jr. to his post as the top law enforcement official in the state’s largest city.
Police Chief Gaudett was initially appointed to a five-year term – and his contract was approved by the city council – in December 2010. With the expiration date of his contract approaching, Mayor Finch exercised his authority to reappoint Police Chief Gaudett to a second five-year term.
Authority is granted to the mayor to reappoint the police chief by the Bridgeport City Charter – which was recently pointed out by the news site Only in Bridgeport
– with the following language:
“The person so appointed shall hold office for a term of five (5) years from the effective date of his appointment but may be removed for just cause. A person holding the position of Chief of police may, only within 150 days of the end of each term, be reappointed by the mayor for one additional term of five (5) years, effective upon the expiration of the chief’s current term, without the need for further examination or testing.”
In response, Mayor Finch noted that his reappointment of Police Chief Gaudett is due in part to trusted leadership, proven ability to keep our streets safe, and devotion to working with the re-entry community.
“Police Chief Gaudett has proven himself to be a trustworthy leader as Bridgeport’s top law enforcement official,” said Mayor Finch. “He’s made tough decisions that have resulted in a stronger department. He’s earned the trust of our community by serving as a strong voice for fair and honest law enforcement practices. He’s led-the-charge in cracking down on crime in the state’s largest city, which has resulted in some of the lowest crime rates the city has experienced in nearly a half-century. And, through his work with Project Longevity, he’s successfully brought officers, community partners, and the state to the table in order to ensure that those re-entering our community after serving time are set up for future success. For these reasons and many others, I’m honored to reappoint Police Chief Gaudett to a second five-year term.”
Ø Click here for a recent op-ed from Police Chief Joseph Gaudett Jr. (RE: law enforcement efforts in Bridgeport under his leadership): http://bit.ly/1zMEjCV.
With the five-year reappointment, Police Chief Gaudett is contracted to serve as Bridgeport’s top law enforcement official until December 2020.
“Police Chief Gaudett has proven himself to be a trustworthy leader as Bridgeport’s top law enforcement official. He’s made tough decisions that have resulted in a stronger department. He’s earned the trust of our community by serving as a strong voice for fair and honest law enforcement practices. He’s led-the-charge in cracking down on crime in the state’s largest city, which has resulted in some of the lowest crime rates the city has experienced in nearly a half-century. And, through his work with Project Longevity, he’s successfully brought officers, community partners, and the state to the table in order to ensure that those re-entering our community after serving time are set up for future success. For these reasons and many others, I’m honored to reappoint Police Chief Gaudett to a second five-year term.” – Bridgeport, Conn. Mayor Bill Finch
(City of Bridgeport Press Release)