After 30 Years, Granby Bids Watkins Farewell

About 100 people were in attendance at Town Hall on Friday afternoon to celebrate the career of former Chief of Police David Watkins, who retired after 30 years on the Granby police force.

Watkins, who served as the police chief since 2002, looked as though he’d rather eat shards of glass than command the spotlight.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I would rather be anywhere else but here,” Watkins quipped during a brief speech at the end of the event.

Still, on his final day as chief, Watkins managed to endure the compliments and well-wishes from people not only from Granby, but from all over the region, including Simsbury, East Hartford, Southwick and Granville, MA.

“I’m sad to see him go,” said Town Manager William Smith, who recalled Watkins’ gradual rise through the ranks from dispatcher to supernumerary, to patrol officer all the way to chief, a title he has held since 2002. “[Watkins serving on the police force for 30 years] is a milestone for the community, especially because he grew up here and he knows the town as well as anyone else.”

Smith recognized Watkins’ hard work in getting the police department accredited, as well as for forming the regional dive team and the the regional accident reconstruction team.

“His connection to towns in the area was well-known and respected,” Smith said.

Smith also credited Watkins for building the police department, sometimes out of sheer force of will, to the point where it is right now.

Lost Acres Fire Department Chief John Horr, who worked with and for Watkins for over 30 years and is also his brother-in-law, said that there was more to the now-former chief than his stoic, intense exterior.

“His dedication and determination are incredible,” Horr said. “[But] he also has a big heart. Most people don’t see that on a day-to-day basis. He’s got a huge heart.”

Several people said that they would miss the vision Watkins had for the police department as well as his deep connection to the community.

“If you are looking for someone who exemplifies a chief of police for a small town, who grew up in the community, is a member of the community and cares about the community, then he’s that guy,” said Granby resident and East Hartford Fire Chief John Oates said. “It’s not just a huge loss for the department, it’s a huge loss for the community. He’s done a great job changing from a small-town police department to a modern, progressive [department].”

“I only had the pleasure of working for a year with him,” added AnnMarie Cox, youth services coordinator. “I enjoyed his sense of humor, his calm, refined approach to chaos and his wisdom. He worked in Granby for 30 years, and he developed an understanding of the community and of how things are done, and I’ll miss that.”

First Selectman John Adams put Watkins’ longevity in perspective: the Granby police department is celebrating its 50th anniversary; Watkins has been on the force for a remarkable 30 - or 60 percent - of those years.

With all the praise heaped on him, Watkins was typically humble.

"I've been blessed with great mentors," said Watkins, who was the department's fourth chief. "What I did was take the best traits of the three prior chiefs and used that management style that worked for the community."

While there were too many people to thank by name, Watkins said that Smith was instrumental to his and the department's success though the town manager's support and dedication.

"It's nice when your boss has your back 24-7," Watkins said.

Adams and Smith presented Watkins with several gag gifts, including a six pack of Coca-Cola (Watkins does not like coffee, and Smith said he needed something to keep the former chief awake during staff meetings).

Watkins also received a painting from the town, and his wife was presented flowers.

“[Watkins] is a friend and I look forward to maintaining that,” Smith said. “It’s a tough thing losing the chief, but I’m confident his successor, the new chief, will work out.”

Watkins will be succeeded by Carl Rosensweig, a former West Hartford assistant chief of police; his first day will be Oct. 3. A formal ceremony for the new chief will be held at Town Hall on Oct. 17.

“It’s tremendously exciting and a huge honor to be chosen to lead the department,” the 52-year-old Rosensweig said. “Leaving a place where I’ve been for 31 years is going to be a little difficult. I have mixed emotions, but I’m looking forward to it. Everyone here has been great. I’ve been welcomed with open arms. I’m spending significant amount of time getting to know the officers, the town’s people and getting to know the town of Granby.”

The town that Rosensweig will serve and protect is quite different from the one that Watkins patrolled as a young officer in the early 1980s.

“The population has doubled,” Watkins said. “What’s resulted is the building out of the town, where working farms are no longer present. It’s changed from a rural, agrarian community to a commuter, suburban town where people go back and forth to Hartford.”

Watkins said that the higher population has resulted in an increase in the number, as well as the changes in types of, crimes that now take place in town.

Notably, Watkins said, the newest form of crime has been in the computer and technology fields.

“It’s been very difficult for an agency this size,” Watkins admitted. “We haven’t always been successful, but we’ve done the very best we can with the resources we’ve had at our disposal.”

Regardless, Watkins said that he has few regrets looking back in his three decades serving Granby residents.

One of his greatest accomplishments, he said, is introducing the use of automated external defibrillators into the state.

“When I first approached [the town] about purchasing them, they thought I was nuts,” Watkins said. “After the first successful use of one in a patrol cruiser, no one thought I was crazy any more.”

Watkins said that while he will miss the people with whom he worked, he will not miss constantly being on call and the intensity of the concerns he had about the general health and safety of the people formerly under his command.

“I’m still going to worry about them,” he said. “I just won’t have the responsibility of making sure they are all right.”

And with that, Watkins said that his immediate plans, though not yet confirmed, include a Four Corners Motorcycle Ride, as well as plenty of scuba diving.

But before he does any of those things, Watkins had one final message for Granby residents.

“Thank you,” Watkins said with tears welling in his eyes.