Avon Police Department Swears in New Patrol Officer and Continues to Accept Applications

A Hartford woman was sworn in as a patrol officer for the Avon Police Department Monday, and is one of two recent hires.

Kathy Alabre, a Western Connecticut State University graduate with a major in justice and law administration, will begin training on Feb. 18. The police academy lasts 22 weeks long.

Courtney Wilson of Norwich, who was sworn in on Oct. 18, has been in the academy since Oct. 22. April 6 is Wilson's last day. 

"We hire them and then they go to the academy,” Walsh said.

Both are completing their police certification at the Meriden Police Academy. They are the only two, besides Officer Jeffrey Foss-Rugan, to be hired within the past year.

Before being hired, they went through a thorough screening process for potential candidates includes a written and oral exam, a pre-background 100 question survey and background check conducted by lietenants and detectives in the department. The test scores are combined and applicants ranked.

The next phase of the interview process entails polygraph, psychological and medical testing. Select candidates have an interview with the chief of police. A fitness test is also required.

Alabre and Wilson will be the sixth and seventh female officers out of 29 members of the department, or 24 percent,which Lt. Kelly Walsh, spokesperson for the Avon Police Department, said is a rarity.

"For a small department, that's a high percentage," Walsh said.

The base salary for a patrol officer is $57,750, which is adjusted based on the applicant's experience and education background, according to Walsh.

Avon still has about six vacancies in the department, Walsh said, and the department is looking to fill them.

There is a large gap between when an officer is interviewed, hired and then begins working for the department, which was a concern brought up at the Town Council budget workshop on Feb. 12.

Town Council Chairman Mark Zacchio asked Police Chief Mark Rinaldo if there is any way to speed up the hiring process so that officers will be ready to go earlier. Rinaldo explained that the background check is one of the most time consuming parts of the process.

Capt. Robert Whitty explained that the "trend in police hiring" is that "limited people get through the process" because they may be eliminated because of illicit activities and indiscretions revealed in their background checks.

"No one wants officers hired who engage in these types of activities," Rinaldo said. "Backgrounds are a priority."

"Is there value in doing the background check earlier?" Zacchio asked. “I would support putting more patrol officers in, but if [the town] can’t hire for what we have vacancies for, how do we get those filled faster? How can we put it in budget?"

But in order for the town to pay for a polygraph, a person has to have been granted a "conditional offer," Town Manager Brandon Robertson clarified.

Council member Doug Evans pointed out that arrests in Avon are down 25 percent, and the department explained that most of their calls are medical. The amount of medical calls have increased due to new development, such as Peachtree Village senior living.

More officers would help the balance in staffing for medical calls and arrests, the department indicated.

In the meantime Avon welcomes the new officers, and continues to review applications for the vacancies.