Top 3 Candidates Announced For Next Chief Of Police In Bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Three final candidates were announced on Wednesday to be the next Chief of Police in Bridgeport, two are current members of the department and the third is a recent retiree from the Bridgeport Force.

The top three candidates are Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia, Captain Lonnie Blackwell, and recently retired Captain Roderick Porter. Bridgeport Personnel Director Eric Amado and Mayor Joseph Ganim announced the finalists.

Bridgeport is searching for a new police chief, following the arrest of former Acting Chief Armando Perez, who was sentenced in 2021 to a year and a day in prison after he pleaded guilty to a test-rigging scheme.

All three top names for the position were certified by Amado, pursuant to the city's Charter, Chapter 13.

The three were named finalists after a nationwide search and test administered by the International Association of Chief of Police over the past few months.

The process conducted by the IACP yielded a total of 27 applicants, according to the announcement. Nineteen of the candidates met the required qualifications for Bridgeport Police Chief and 11 of the candidates successfully completed the phone screening. Ultimately, 10 candidates participated in the final assessment process and were ranked.

There will be a 30-day appeal period pursuant to the civil service requirements of the Bridgeport City Charter, according to officials. Mayor Ganim will announce in the coming weeks a public process that will unfold following the 30-day appeal period, which will include community, stakeholder, City Council, and administration input prior to his final selection.