Chief Esserman Resigns from New Haven Police Department

NEW HAVEN, CT—Embattled New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman officially announced Monday that he would resign from the department.

“It has been a privilege to serve Mayor Harp and work alongside the remarkable men and women of the New Haven Department of Police Service, who no doubt have earned the title, ‘New Haven’s Finest,’” Esserman said in a statement. “Last and certainly not least, it has been my privilege to serve the wonderful people of New Haven – I am so very grateful for having had this opportunity to do so.”

The resignation dates back to Sept. 2 and is mutual between Esserman and Mayor Toni Harp.

“Crime and violence have steadily and consistently decreased in New Haven throughout the nearly five years of Chief Esserman’s tenure and I’m grateful for the chief’s successful legacy,” Harp said. “Public safety in New Haven is improved after a return to grass roots community policing, productive partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, and positive interaction with community organizations.”

Anthony Campbell will continue to serve as interim chief.

The details of Esserman’s severance agreement were being finalized over the past few days, according to the New Haven Independent. Harp said she will leave it to Esserman on whether to disclose the terms.

Esserman’s contract is composed of six documents,according to the New Haven Register. He was reappointed by Harp to his current term on Feb. 1, 2014 and his term expires Feb. 1, 2018. His salary is $162,000 per year.

The now former chief talked to command staff, supervisors, detectives officers and civilians Tuesday afternoon to announce his retirement in person.

“It was important…very important to me that I give you all the respect you deserve," Esserman said, according to Officer David Hartman, police spokesman. "I wanted to come here in person and thank you for all you do and I wanted you to hear that I’m moving on from me and not a press release."

Esserman said that union leaders care about the best interests of officers as much as he does.

Esserman was put on a 15-work day paid leave starting July 26 following an alleged incident at Archie Moore’s in the city where he reportedly berated a waitress. He then began to use accrued sick time after the paid leave expired.

It wasn’t the first or last story to surface about Esserman’s behavior. He was officially reprimanded in 2014 after it was learned that he yelled at an usher during a Yale football game.

The Independent and WTNH reported about Esserman reportedly losing his cool after a Secret Service agent couldn’t provide him with exact details about his place in First Lady Michelle Obama’s motorcade when she visited the city.

New Haven Police were able to reduce the number of homicides from a high point of 34 in 2011 down to 13 in 2014 and 15 in 2015. Non-fatal shootings dropped from 133 in 2011 to 63 in 2015 and shots fired from 426 to 91 for the same time period.

Esserman was lauded by city officials for his leadership, so much so mayoral candidates in the 2013 election universally agreed they would keep him on their administration. Esserman also received national attention for his community policing efforts and had a closed door meeting with President Barack Obama and several other prominent law enforcement officials shortly before his leave.

The city’s police union voted that they didn’t have confidence in Esserman’s ability to lead the department.

Esserman was the top cop in Providence, RI before coming to New Haven. He also was chief of police for the Stamford and Metro-North police departments. He was an assistant chief in New Haven during the early 1990’s.

Image via City of New Haven