In a special meeting Monday, Dec. 7, the Middlebury Police Commission voted to appoint Francis Dabbo as acting chief. Dabbo, who has been working as a part-time Middlebury police officer, is a retired Waterbury Police Department captain. After his retirement, he worked for 2-1/2 years as a deputy police chief in Plymouth before coming to the Middlebury department.
Police Commission Chairman Ken Heidkamp said the police commission had hoped to hire a new police chief to take the place of Chief James Viadero, who accepted the position of police chief in Newtown 14 months after he was sworn in as Middlebury’s new chief.
Since the search for Viadero was completed so recently, the commission initially thought one of the top four candidates from that search might accept the position. However, Heidkamp said changed circumstances left none of those candidates in a position to come to Middlebury.
He said he expects the Police Commission will vote at its Monday, Dec. 14, meeting to launch a new search for a police chief.
