Darien Celebrates Swearing In Of New Chief Of Police

DARIEN, CT — Before an appreciative crowd of more than 150, Darien's new Chief of Police Donald Anderson was officially sworn in on Saturday during a ceremony in Darien Town Hall. He replaces recently retired Police Chief Ray Osborne, who stepped down after 35 years with the department - two as chief - on Sept. 1.

Family members, friends, retired police officers and chiefs, public officials, fellow emergency responders and chiefs from neighboring departments attended the ceremony, breaking into standing ovations more than once to honor Anderson.

A 36-year veteran of the department, who told the audience that he never set out to become the department's top official, Anderson is the second member of his family to serve as Darien's police chief. The late Bruce Anderson, Don's father, served as police chief from 1988 to 1993.

"This is as close to a family business as there is in public service," Anderson joked.

In fact, that sentiment of family hung over Saturday's ceremony like a comfortable cardigan, with Anderson's wife, Virginia Anderson, pinning his new badge on him, and his two daughters, Megan and Ashley, returning from college to sing the National Anthem and lead the audience in prayer, respectively.

"When we interview new officers for the job, they often tell us that they've heard the Darien Police Department is a family," said retiring Police Commission Chairman J. Paul Johnson said. "They're right, it really is a family."

Anderson recalled how his family drove to the department in 1963 when he was a child and his father was just starting out as a police officer, earning the princely sum of just $96 a week for the dangerous job.

Instead of police work, Anderson initially trained as an optician, but turned to a career in the police department at age 20, competing with more than 400 applicants first for only one position in the department, which soon grew to five available positions.

"The police commission took a chance on me, and I've spend everyday trying to make sure that they didn't regret their decision," he said.

Building on that sentiment, Anderson, who spoke glowingly about the members of the department, addressed those officers directly as concluded his speech.

"Do not take to heart the narrative that our profession is less than honorable," he said, adding proudly that police work is among the most noble careers a person can have.