CELEBRATING GREENWICH POLICE 125TH ANNIVERSARY

Current GPD photo from left: Chief James Heavey, Officer Josh Repik, Officer Rob Smurlo and Officer John D”™Inverno.

The town of Greenwich is celebrating the 125^th anniversary of the Greenwich Police Department this year. Chief James Heavey and the department are marking this milestone by welcoming the community and longtime partners, including local businesses, to partake in several events throughout 2021. The theme of the year will be “Honoring Our Past and Embracing Our Future.” The funds raised will support the Greenwich Police Department”™s Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit 501 (c) (3), which grants financial assistance to the children of active Greenwich police officers who qualify by ability and character for undergraduate studies.

“”¦We strive for excellence and have demonstrated a sustained commitment of service to the public. I am very appreciative to be a member of this family ”“ past and present ”“ and I am equally pleased that we can celebrate this milestone together. We look forward to the history we will write together in the years ahead,” said Heavy.

The Greenwich Police Department in 1908 on Town Hall Steps (two years after the formation of the Greenwich Police Department in 1906. Front row, from left: Andrew Talbot (later chief), John Merritt, Patrick J. Flanagan (later chief), James J. Nedley (later chief), and Chief William A. Ritch. Rear: James J. Fahey (later captain of detectives), John Creamer and Willard Tooley.

In 1896, “Watchmen” were appointed after residents realized the need for more efficient police protection in town. They were tasked with watching the stores along Greenwich Avenue at night. The Greenwich Police Department was officially formed in 1906. Some 11 years later, on June 1, 1917, Joseph J. Cornelius was sworn in as the first full-time Greenwich police officer. The department received its first patrol car in 1922, and the first police station opened in 1939. In its early days, the department was almost entirely composed of native Irishmen or Irish American men. The first woman police officer was hired in 1947, and the first Black officer in 1951. In 1960, the underwater rescue unit formed and three years later Marine Division was officially created. In 1967, the Youth Division was formed. Currently, there are 152 sworn officers in the department.

Celebratory events for the 125^th anniversary are being planned throughout the year.

For more information on events and to become a sponsor, call 203-622-7844 or visit gpdscholarshipfund.org