Westport Police Chief and Deputy Chief to Retire this Thursday; Both Remaining On Staff to Train Top Brass
Town of Westport Personnel Director Ralph ChetcutiFirst Selectman Jim Marpe announced today that effective September 30, 2021, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Deputy Police Chief Sam Arciola will retire from the Westport Police Department (WPD) and simultaneously be retained under contract to continue serving as Police Chief and Deputy Police Chief for the Town of Westport.
Mr. Marpe stated, “In order to assure continuity of leadership in the WPD, and to further prepare the Department for their ultimate departure, Chief Koskinas will enter into a three (3) year employment contract and Deputy Chief Arciola will be retained under a similar agreement until December 31, 2022.”
“Chief Koskinas has been eligible to retire with full benefits since July, 2021 and Deputy Chief Arciola became eligible in 2016. Chief Koskinas made me aware of his intention to retire in August of this year, while Deputy Chief Arciola made that decision more recently,” Marpe noted. “It was agreed that at this sensitive time in the evolution of police accountability and responsibilities at the national and local levels, that a full change in leadership of the department would create a disruption that could have a negative effect on the Westport community as well as the successful operation of our Police services.”
“The members of the WPD leadership team are well on their way to stepping into the Chief and Deputy Chief roles but they require additional time to develop the full range of skills and community relationships to be successful as the department’s senior leaders. In that context, Chief Koskinas and Deputy Chief Arciola offered to remain in their roles under employment contracts. This arrangement will be beneficial for Westport from a position of continuity of leadership as well as from a financial standpoint.”
Together, Chief Koskinas and Deputy Chief Arciola have more than 56 years of experience on the WPD. Chief Koskinas started his career in January, 1996, and Deputy Chief Arciola began in May, 1990. They were promoted to their current positions upon the retirement of former Police Chief Dale Call in 2016. Mr. Marpe said, “While there may have been an option to hire interim chiefs, we would immediately lose the depth of knowledge, experience and relationships that Foti and Sam possess while potential successors are being prepared to assume the roles. This would be a major loss to the Town.”
Mr. Marpe added, “I want to thank Foti and Sam for their service and sacrifice during their longstanding tenures in the WPD. I also appreciate their understanding of the needs of the Town and their fellow police officers that allows for this mutually agreeable arrangement for them to remain in their leadership roles. They continually demonstrate the highest standards of public service and dedication to our community.”
Chief Koskinas stated, “I am honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to work with and for the Town of Westport. Aside from my family, the last 27 years have been some of the most exciting and gratifying times of my life while serving and working alongside members of this community. I am confident that we will have continued successes as we navigate through some difficult times in our country, and certainly in law enforcement.”,
Koskinas continued, “Over the last couple of years, and even more recently, there have been other incredible opportunities presented to me in both the private and public sectors. However, I never pictured or imagined myself wearing a uniform other than that of the Westport Police Department. I sincerely look forward to the opportunity to continue serving Westport for another three years.”
Levitt Pavilion "Double-Header" a Big Hit
The Levitt Pavilion For The Performing Arts closed their 60 free nights summer concert series Sunday night with headliners Kindred Souls, an instrumental and vocal quartet consisting of Pete Muller, John Whooley, Missy Soltero and Martha McDonnell. Levitt fans were also treated to an opening act by Goodnight Moonshine, a New Haven based partnership with performers Molly Venter and Eben Pariser. Director of Marketing Carleigh Welsh reminded the crowd of the October appearance of Sheryl Crowe on October 8th and did not rule out possibility of perhaps one more show. (stay tuned).
Click on any photo to enlarge. Photos by J.C. Martin for the WestportLocalPress.com
Slice Of Saugatuck Returns!
The much loved event returned for it's 9th year on Sunday filling the neighborhood with live music and the aromas of the delicious offerings from the area's fine eateries. Nearly 50 Saugatuck restaurants, shops, galleries and other businesses brought about one thousand visitors who strolled the streets in search of their favorite foods, and listened to live music provided by, among several others, Slice favorites Silver Steel Drum Band, the Howling Barncats and possible "future stars" from the School Of Rock.
Click on any photo to enlarge. Photos by J.C. Martin for the WestportLocalPress.com
Talking Transportation with Jim Cameron: “Commuting Amid the Unmasked”
Commuting Amid the Unmasked
by Jim Cameron
Finally, Metro-North may stop shooting itself in the foot. While adding more trains and encouraging (no, praying!) that commuters will come back to the rails, the railroad is still refusing to make those passengers feel safe by enforcing the Federal and State mask rules. Sure, they’ve been passing out masks on trains, but what good are they if they’re not worn?
I hate to keep harping on this issue, but we’re talking about a serious public health threat. Unmasked passengers, even if they’re vaccinated, can be asymptomatic and spread the COVID virus to hundreds of fellow riders in a matter of minutes let alone the hour-plus ride to NYC.
Appeals to Metro-North, the MTA, to Governor Lamont and even our US Senators have finally resulted in a change. The MTA Police has said it will now issue $50 tickets for those refusing to wear masks.
Weekday ridership is still only half of pre-COVID levels and doesn’t seem to be increasing what with the delta variant keeping many offices closed and those who are commuting only doing so a couple of days a week. Heavy traffic on I-95 and the Merritt Parkway hint that many are still preferring to drive to the city than take the train.
But many don’t have a work-from-home option, like oncology nurse Casey (who asked me to hide her identity). She rides daily from Norwalk to Manhattan and, working in healthcare, is frightened by what she sees.
“I have been riding the train through the first wave of the pandemic when I first noticed cars were being closed to group passengers together rather than allow them to spread out. Despite multiple tweets, online complaints, and calls to Metro North my concerns were never addressed.” she told me.
Her complaints to conductors and to the railroad directly have brought lip-service. One recent incident left her upset:
“ A passenger refused to wear his mask after being asked to put it on by me and another rider. He stated that he had been eating and that it was uproarious to even ask him to wear a mask while eating. The conductor agreed with him stating that he could put on his mask after he was finished eating. Mind you, at no point did I see the passenger eating and he made no effort put on his mask when arguing with me and the other passenger. What really disturbed me was the announcement the conductor made following this encounter. The conductor announced over the loud speaker that “masks are to be worn expect when eating and drinking because there is no rule that states you can’t”. I found the conductor’s announcement unnerving.”
Nic, an attorney, finds better mask compliance on some trains more than others:
“I tend to observe more mask compliance on the Hartford Line compared to the New Haven Line. It is frustrating that passengers refuse to comply with the rules, which are implemented for our safety. When passengers refuse to wear a mask, I manage to distance myself such that I feel safe despite the maskless passenger. If the mandate were not in place, I'm sure even fewer passengers would wear masks and it would be more difficult to distance from them.”
But as trains become more crowded, social distancing may become a real problem.
As the MTA reminds us, if we “see something” we should “say something”. That’s what commuters worried about their safety have been doing. It’s a shame that nothing, until now, seems to have been done.
About Jim Cameron:
Jim Cameron has been a commuter advocate for over 30 years, with a special focus on the Metro North railroad. He spent nearly two decades on the Connecticut Metro North Commuter Council, and most recently founded The Commuter Action Group. Jim Cameron’s Talking Transportation was a popular column on the former WestportNow.com prior to its cessation, and joins The Westport Local Press and several other online community organizations. A resident of Darien - he serves on its Representative Town Meeting and is Program Director of the town government TV station, DarienTV79. He can be reached at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: @CTRailCommuters