Community Corner

East Hampton's New Chief is a State Police Veteran

Sean Cox replaces Interim Chief Matthew Reimondo, who retired earlier this year.

The town's new police chief is a 21-year veteran of the Connecticut State Police. 

Sean Cox, whose tenure with the state police included assignments with the department's Major Crimes Squad as well as being the resident trooper in Mansfield and Tolland, replaces outgoing longtime police Chief Matthew Reimondo. 

Cox was sworn in as chief early Thursday morning in a brief ceremony in Town Hall. He will be paid a starting salary of $90,000 annually, which will increase to $100,000 after he completes a six-month probationary period. 

Cox was chosen from among 52 applicants who sought the chief's job. During a press conference prior to being sworn in Cox said he was drawn to the job because as a resident trooper he has worked as a community officer for many years in small towns like East Hampton. 

"This is my forte," he said. 

His appointment comes at a time when the police department in East Hampton finds itself at a crossroads. Reimondo's decision in January to take an early retirement offer from the town capped years' of controversy within the department that included efforts to eliminate the chief's job.

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After he was laid off as part of that restructuring of the police department  Reimondo and his supporters in 2010 forced a referendum that saw the chief overwhelmingly returned to his job.

The shadow of that controversy remains today with the recent filing of a federal lawsuit against Reimondo and the town by a former Town Council member and the recent disciplining of a longtime police sergeant who was suspended about a week ago for the second time. 

Cox said he is well aware of the controversies, adding that he would work to heal the rifts through one-on-one meetings with each of the department's officers and through community outreach efforts. 

He said his policing philosophy will put the town's residents and taxpayers first and one of his main focuses as a chief will be on community outreach.



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