Search for New Police Chief to Take at Least 6 Months

Town officials say it’ll take at least six months to find New Canaan’s new police chief, as a committee now taking shape searches for Ed Nadriczny’s successor.

After 36 years with the New Canaan Police Department, including eight as chief, Nadriczny on Friday announced that he was retiring.

Police Commission Chair Jim Cole said he and fellow commissioners Sperry Decew and Stuart Sawabini—as well as “two or three other, notable citizens of New Canaan”—are now forming a search committee that’s looking at a long list of qualities in its search.

“Experience and command, a good reputation,” Cole said when asked about what qualities the search committee would want in the new chief. “We do a lot of work on due diligence here, we don’t just get a lot of resumes and pick somebody. Experience level and training is important, and so is how well you work with town government, how well you work with a police department and its officers.”

Cole said he absolutely expected to have internal candidates. Asked how important it would be for a new chief to have existing ties to New Canaan, he said, “Not very.”

Nadriczny set no specific retirement date but said he would work with the town to ensure a smooth transition.