Windsor Locks Picks A New Police Chief

The Windsor Locks Police Commission Friday chose Branford’s Deputy Police Chief Thomas Fowler as its new police chief.

Fowler was chosen pending a background check, commission member Kevin Brace said. The two sides are negotiating his salary, which was advertised between $90,000 to $100,000.

Having been in the running for the but not getting selected, Fowler was excited to hear of the good fortune last night.

“It’s still kind of sinking in,” he said via phone this morning. “I’m looking at the whole thing – it’s not official yet.”

Fowler, a North Branford native, has been with for 25 years and has worked his way from officer to deputy chief.

Last night at 10 p.m. after having dinner with family at his regular Friday night spot – – Fowler said he was notified by Windsor Locks that he was selected for the position of chief. This week, after interviews Thursday and Friday, Fowler was chosen from a pool of 12 final candidates.

The police commission interviewed the three finalists for about an hour each in executive session Friday night and took a vote afterwards. There were 70 applicants from around the country.

The initial screening was winnowed to 12 candidates and those candidates were interviewed by a search committee during the week. The committee recommended the final three to the police commission.

Fowler has notified of his decision to accept the job offer in Windsor Locks but he has not discussed the move with the department in detail. He must next sit down with his new department’s HR to determine a possible starting date and details. Fowler said his current contract in Branford requires 30 days notice and he has not set a departure date with the town yet.

As per job requirement, Fowler said he must move within 20 miles of Windsor Locks when he takes the new position; he and his wife have not chose a place to live at this point.

, retired as chief in August. The commission is conducted the search in the wake of the controversial handling of an October 29, 2010 fatal accident in which an off-duty police officer allegedly struck and killed 15-year-old Henry Dang with his car.

A few days after Suchocki’s retirement, an independent report of police department actions following an accident was released. The report is critical of the actions of  Suchocki after the accident.

The report says that in Suchocki’s efforts to keep the investigation “clean” he mistakenly ceded his own control to the North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction Team. That action violated Windsor Locks’ own policies.

Patch will be interviewing Fowler in the coming weeks as he looks to the future of his possible new position. In the immediate future – this weekend – Fowler said his plans are to celebrate his children and wife’s birthdays in New York and take in a New England Patriots game.