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New Easton Police Chief Will Build On His Experiences In Stamford

EASTON, Conn. -- Easton's new police chief is a former longtime Stamford police officer who was known for his effective narcotics investigations.

Easton's new police chief Timothy Shaw, former Assistant Chief at the Stamford Police Department, will be sworn in Thursday.

Easton's new police chief Timothy Shaw, former Assistant Chief at the Stamford Police Department, will be sworn in Thursday.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Easton Police Chief Timothy Shaw at his swearing in ceremony Thursday.

Easton Police Chief Timothy Shaw at his swearing in ceremony Thursday.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Timothy Shaw, 49, will be sworn in Thursday at 6 p.m. in a ceremony at the Easton Library Community Room.

For Shaw, it's a move closer to his Monroe home and also a chance to lead a department.

"It was closer to home and having the opportunity to run a department is something that you kind of strive for," he said. "I know some of the officers who have been there before or are currently there and they spoke highly of the job and the town so it's an opportunity."

He believes his experience will help him lead the 14-member department.

"Bringing the experiences I've got from Stamford will give me an opportunity to have an impact in Easton," he said.

Shaw is originally from East Haven, raised in a family of eight children where he was the second youngest. He never thought about becoming a police officer until his brother-in-law, Stamford police Sgt. Richard Phalen, told him 28 years ago about the Stamford Police hiring test.

"I was up at UConn, still studying. I wasn't sure what I was going to do so I gave this a shot and absolutely loved this since Day 1," said Shaw who went straight from being a university student to policing.

Even though he's excited about the opportunity in Easton, Shaw admits it's bittersweet to leave the Stamford Police Department.

"Somebody told me it's kind of like a divorce - it's going to hurt for a while," he said. "I'm going to miss this department a lot. There are a lot of good people here."

He praised Stamford Police Chief Jon Fontneau for being instrumental in his becoming assistant chief two years ago in Stamford. 

"I probably am going to miss him the most. He gave me the opportunity," he said. 

Shaw and his wife Nancy have two children, daughter Taylor, 18, who just graduated from Masuk High School and son Ryan, 15, who is a sophomore at Masuk. 

Shaw replaces James Candee, who retired after 43 years of service. 

On Tuesday, one of the people involved in the process to select Shaw as chief, Easton Police Commission Vice Chairman Raymond J. Martin, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to possess oxycodone with intent to distribute as part of an ongoing investigation. He faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison.

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