On Tuesday evening, a number of New Canaan first responders, community members, elected officials and visiting friends from neighboring towns came together at Waveny Park's Waveny Castle to celebrate the official promotion of Leon Krolikowski from Captain to the town's 8th Chief of Police.
Attending with his wife, Anna, son, Ryan, and two daughters, Morgan and Kelsey, Krolikowski had his old rank removed from his uniform and received his new rank and badge during a ceremony that lasted about a half-hour.
"As special as [today] is for Leon and his family, it's even more special for New Canaan," said First Selectman Rob Mallozzi. "Leon is a true New Canaan kid and man. He's lived in our community, he's volunteered in our community. He's given time to the charities in town. He's always willing to be there for the town of New Canaan. In a very big sense, we've brought up one of our own."
New Canaan Police Commissioner James Cole said he was proud of the department and proud of the new chief, but said the appointment should not be seen as a reason to relax.
"I would be easy to think of this ceremony as a finish line," he said. "Importantly, it's a milestone. Not, I repeat, not a finish line. The department's new command staff knows, there's a lot to do and our expectations are very high."
Capt. Vince DeMaio, Master of Ceremonies for the evening, recalled his long history with Krolikowski, starting in 1989 when the pair joined up with the department, and learned how to be better police officers by following the examples of the experienced officers that came before them.
"It's now our turn to provide the example to let others follow," DeMaio said, adding after detailing Krolikowski's military and educational background, "Chief Krolikowski did not arrive at this position today as the result of a popularity contest or some measure of political favor. He stands here today as a result of intelligence, dogged determination and old-fashioned work ethic, a strong sense of duty and service and a mountain of accomplishments."
Krolikowski said he'd never forget his roots and will consistently work to make sure the department is striving towards its most important mission: watching over the town of New Canaan.
"I started as a patrol officer," the new chief said. "I will always think of myself as a patrol officer. And now every member of our department can see a path in their professional lives that could lead to the chief's office. [...] What we do each and every day is protect and serve the town of New Canaan. To that end, I will ensure the department is well organized and focused on accomplishing that basic mission and then some."
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