Board of Police Commissioners - Minutes - 02/24/2022

SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
Town of Waterford, Connecticut Police Commission Special Meeting
Training Room at the Waterford Police Department
02/24/2022 4:00 PM
Zoom Access
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86834616740
Meeting ID: 868 3461 6740
Passcode: 068620
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc4FPW1 167; +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
PRESENT: 
Commissioner James Dimmock Commissioner Mark Gelinas, Commissioner Chris
Gamble, Commissioner Thomas Sheridan, First Selectman Robert Brule and Eileen
Dugan
ABSENT: 
N/A
DEPARTMENT: 
Interim Chief Marc Balestracci, Lt. Timothy Silva, Lt. Nicole VanOverloop, Officer
Mark Devine and Secretary Jennifer Anderson
CALL TO ORDER AND ESTABLISH QUORUM:
Chairman Gelinas called the special meeting to order at 4:04 p.m. in the General Meeting Room of the
Waterford Police Department. A Quorum was established.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
PUBLIC INPUT: No public input.

MOTION made by Commissioner Sheridan and SECONDED by First Selectman Robert Brule to enter into
Executive Session for the purpose of discussing the Chief of Police position at 4:05 p.m. MOTION PASSED
unanimously.
The Board came out of Executive Session at 4:49 p.m. There were no motions made or actions taken while in
Executive Session.
Commissioner Gelinas thanked the three candidates for their participation in the process and advised that it was
a difficult decision as they all did so well.
MOTION: First Selectman Brule made a motion to appoint Interim Chief of Police Mare Balestracci to Chief of
Police. SECONDED by Commissioner Gamble. MOTION PASSED unanimously.
STATEMENT:
The Board of Police Commissioners congratulates Mare Balestracci upon his appointment as Chief of Police.
While the board of Police Commissioners had the ability to open the appointment process to candidates from
outside the department, upon careful consideration of what Interim Chief Balestracci brings to the Department,
we have declined to do so,
Interim Chief Balestracci has worked his way from Patrolman, to Sergeant, Lieutenant, Interim Chief and now
Chief and we believe he will continue to serve the Town of Waterford well. We expect that Interim Chief
Balestracci will ensure the continuance of the many positive aspects of our department, such as its reputation in
the law enforcement community, its culture of teamwork and camaraderie, and its emphasis on community
engagement. We also expect that he will critically analyze the Department’s compliance with the overarching
requirement to treat all with fairness and equality in an era where relationships between the public and police are
complex, and can change quickly. Members of the Board of Police Commissioners have had the opportunity,
over about 4 months, to observe and speak with Interim Chief Balestracci, and to learn more about his intentions
if appointed Chief. During this time, we have understood Interim Chief Balestracci to be an extremely
knowledgeable officer and supervisor, to be at the forefront of the Department’s efforts to enhance community
engagement (such as his recent pursuit of a comfort K9) and to create a more diverse Department from the
ground up, and to be simply a fine person.
As there has been a significant reduction in the number of candidates locally, statewide and nationally applying
to become a Police Officer, regardless of ethnicity or gender, the Department has taken several proactive steps,
either created or furthered by Interim Chief Balestracci, to promote diversity in applicants. These steps include,
but are not limited to, recruiting at 3 colleges in Eastern Connecticut, meeting with Ms. Jean Jordan of the New
London NAACP to improve relationships with that organization, implementing intern programs at both the
college and high school levels to increase interest in law enforcement, development of a free seminar to assist
candidates with their application and interviewing skills and the recent hiring of two Hispanic Community
Service Officers. We fully expect that Interim Chief Balestracci not only will keep us updated on these existing
efforts, but also will work with the Department to identify or develop additional ways to cast a broad net to
attract diverse candidates.
The Board of Police Commissioners values the existing culture and reputation of our Department, and values the
need to infuse our Department with more diverse personnel. These values are not mutually exclusive, and, in
fact, each complements the other. We’ve identified Interim Chief Balestracci as the person who will further all
of these values. As an internal candidate, he knows what makes the Department tick and what makes it special.
As an internal candidate, he knows the very difficulties that the Department has faced in attracting candidates in
general, and candidates of diverse background, who are then able to pass the rigorous vetting process. As an
internal candidate, he knows the local and state resources available to aid in attracting diverse candidates, and he
recognizes the need to continue identifying and pursuing new opportunities. We thank Chief Balestracci, and
wish him, the members of the Department and all the future members of the Department, well.

MOTION: made by Commissioner Sheridan and SECONDED by Chairman Dimmock to adjourn the meeting
at 4:54 p.m. MOTION PASSED unanimously.
Respectfully submitted by:
Recording Secretary