STRATFORD – Mayor David Chess has selected the first female police chief in the town’s history. Former Watertown Deputy Chief of Police Renee Dominguez replaces Joseph McNeil, who resigned last fall. Deputy Chief Paul DosSantos has served as the interim police chief since McNeil’s departure.
Chief Dominquez will oversee a 112 sworn officer department and help guide the future of public safety and community policing in the town of more than 52,000 residents.
“I am thrilled to appoint Renee Dominguez as our next Police Chief,” said Mayor Chess. “She brings over 25 years of valuable experience serving in three police departments across Connecticut, where she rose through the ranks and became a respected leader with deep knowledge of law enforcement.
“She is fully prepared to lead the dedicated men and women who serve and protect Stratford at this critical moment. Her professionalism and strong commitment to community policing and relationship-building will serve Stratford well.”
Dominquez has 13 years of police department supervisory experience, with 12 years at the executive and command level, holding the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, assistant chief/deputy chief, and interim police chief.
“It is a true honor to be named Chief of the Stratford Police Department,” Dominguez said. “I look forward to working alongside our dedicated officers and partnering with the community to foster a culture grounded in trust, integrity, and collaboration. Together, we will continue to move the department and the Town of Stratford forward with transparency, professionalism, and a shared commitment to public safety.”
Since 2022, Dominguez has served as Deputy Chief of Police for the Watertown Police Department, an agency of 42 sworn officers and 17 civilian support staff serving a town of approximately 25,000 citizens. She previously served as the interim chief of police for the New Haven Police Department, an agency of 406 sworn officers and 51 civilian support staff serving a diverse city of approximately 130,000 citizens. She began her service as a Newtown Police Officer in 2000.
“I want to thank the members of the Police Chief Search Committee for their time, expertise, and dedication to ensuring this process was thorough, fair, and done properly to identify the right candidate for our town,” Chess said. “Following Dominguez’s interview, there was a unanimous consensus that she had the experience, leadership qualities, and integrity to lead our police department.”
The Police Chief Search Committee brought together individuals with deep policing expertise and understanding of the town’s neighborhoods, who represented diverse perspectives and lived experiences, including law enforcement, labor, faith, civic, and community engagement. It held several meetings over the past few months to finalize the job description, review applications, conduct interviews, and deliberate on the finalists.
The committee included Rev. Dr. Frederick (Jerry) Streets; Stratford Town Councilmember Paul Aurelia; Rose Blackwell, a Stratford resident of more than 60 years; Olga Pena, a Stratford resident, volunteer, and co-chair of the Stratford Hispanic Committee; Patrick Ridenhour, current Chief of Police in the City of Danbury, Connecticut; and Anthony Zona, a veteran law enforcement professional and the Stratford Police Union President.
“I especially want to thank Interim Chief of Police Paul DosSantos, who has served our police department for over 30 years, for his steady command during this crucial transition period,” Chess added. “I’m grateful for his efforts and wish him only the best.”
Dominguez is certified in best practices for the Incident Command System (ICS) and has experience effectively implementing its emergency management functions at the municipal level. She also helped create the Law Enforcement Toolkit for Enhancing Police Responses to Children Exposed to Violence with Yale Child Study Center, International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the United States Department of Justice, where she gained experience training hundreds of police officers throughout her career.
Chess said he plans on preparing Dominguez’s swearing-in ceremony within the next week.
