Wallingford Police Welcome New Officers

WALLINGFORD, CT — The Wallingford Police Department welcomed two new officers to the force this week.

Officer Joseph Diaz, 31, of Wallingford, and Officer Robert Miniter, 25, of Branford, were sworn in to the department on Thursday, according to Police Chief John Ventura. Both officers will be part of the 374th class of the Connecticut Police Academy starting on Friday.

“These officers will begin a comprehensive instruction of the various aspects of Law Enforcement with an expected graduation date of August of 2022,” Ventura wrote in a news release. “Both officers bring a vast knowledge base to the agency. Officer Miniter comes to us as an Emergency Medical Technician working for the Branford Fire Department and the Madison Ambulance Association. Officer Diaz graduated from Lyman Hall High School and served Honorably in the United States Marine Corps where he attained the rank of Lance Corporal. We wish these officers all the best as they begin their careers in law enforcement.”

Ventura also said the department is committed to “addressing the staffing vacancies in the agency and is experiencing the same issues in recruitment as many other agencies in the state.”

“In addition to the appointments of Officer Diaz and Officer Miniter, we currently have three officers attending the Connecticut Police Academy with an expected graduation date of April of 2022,” Ventura said. “We currently are in the process of hiring additional officers in the effort to bring the agency back to full staffing. We ask that anyone interested in joining the Wallingford Police Department check the South Central Criminal Justice and the PoliceAPP websites for information on how to apply.

“We thank the Wallingford Community for their support during these trying times and we affirm our commitment to providing the highest level of professional police service to the Town of Wallingford.”