Bridgeport, CT – Mayor Joe Ganim today announced that Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph Gaudett has agreed to take a new position as a consultant for emergency communications in the Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center. Gaudett has served as Bridgeport Chief of Police since 2009 and is a 33 year veteran of the department. Under the agreement reached between Chief Gaudett and the city of Bridgeport, Gaudett will resign as chief of police and will start his new position in the near future.

“I want to thank Chief Gaudett for his dedicated service to the public safety of Bridgeport for more than three decades,” said Mayor Ganim. “This agreement allows our city to continue benefiting from the Chief’s considerable knowledge and expertise in emergency communications. At the same time, the city will be able to move the reorganization of the police department forward under new leadership which is also needed. I look forward to working with Chief Gaudett in his new role and transitioning the Bridgeport Police Department to a new chief and needed restructuring. This is a very positive development for the citizens of Bridgeport that will no doubt improve our public safety.”

In his new role, Gaudett will have authority over the Office of Emergency Management and the Communications Division, ultimately being responsible for the consolidation of the two entities. Gaudett’s new role will also focus on improving response time to public safety emergencies, pursuing federal and state grants related to emergency communications, and providing training to raise the quality of the assistance given by emergency call takers. As a consultant, Gaudett will report directly to the Office of Mayor Ganim. He will earn a salary of $125,000 annually for three years, with the additional option to renew his contract twice in one-year increments for a total of five years. The new employment arrangement for Chief Gaudett was approved by a vote of 13-6 by the Bridgeport City Council.