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01/31/2023 10:00 AMEditor’s Note: At the time of publication, Lynn Hidek intended to step down from the Board of Police Commissioners in February. She has since decided to remain on the board until the end of her term.
Members of the Board of Police Commissioners are charged with one of the most important jobs in Clinton: providing oversight to the police department. After five years of dedicated service on the board, member Lynn Hidek will be stepping down after its February meeting.
Lynn was first elected to a seat on the board in the fall of 2017.
“My husband was a state trooper, so I have a lot of respect for what police do, and I wanted to do something to keep his legacy alive,” Lynn says. “I really am a big believer in the community policing approach the department takes, and I wanted to have a part in keeping it going.”
Clearly, Lynn’s time on the board has been appreciated: She won the most votes of any police commission candidate in the 2017 election and her successful 2021 reelection bid. However, after more than five years as a commissioner, Lynn decided it was time to step aside.
“I thought I would give a wider berth of folks the opportunity of joining boards and commissions. It really strengthens your commitment to your town when you get involved,” Lynn says.
She announced her intent to step down at the board’s January meeting.
Reflecting on her time on the board, Lynn says her favorite part of the tenure was seeing the willingness of officers at the police department to stay at the department.
“The focus on wanting to promote officers from within was something that was great. You were really rooting for everyone to get promotions and grow in the department,” says Lynn.
Besides the Police Commission, Lynn has been involved in a number of civic groups, including a stint on the Charter Revision Commission from 2015-’17, as well as continuing involvement with Families Helping Families, Placemakers, and the Clinton Community Assistance team. Volunteering within her community is something Lynn first thought about when she was a high school student in East Haven.
“When I was graduating high school, I got a scholarship from an organization called something like the East Haven Women’s Council. I wasn’t involved with them, nor was my family, but I remember at the time thinking their message and activities in town were really cool,” Lynn recalls.
“When I became a full-fledged adult, it was something I really wanted to keep going,” Lynn says.
Of course, longtime Clinton residents will remember Lynn for her decades of service to the town as a children’s librarian at the Henry Carter Hull Library. From 1986 to 2013, Lynn worked at the library, where she says she got to know scores of kids and their families.
“Knowing people and knowing their circumstances was something you got to do at the library. It was a wonderful place and a wonderful time where you got to know people and know their kids and watch them grow up and have kids of their own and take care of their elderly parents. It was just wonderful to be able to do that,” Lynn sums up.
Lynn originally grew up in East Haven, but March 2023 will mark 50 years as a Clinton resident.
“My husband was stationed at the barracks in Westbrook, and his brother was a guidance counselor at the Morgan School and noticed a flyer for an available house. He mentioned it to us, and we moved in,” Lynn says.
In her spare time, Lynn can be found playing Wordle, cooking, spending time with her partner Ron, and seeing family and friends.
“My favorite thing about Clinton is the warmth of the people. The people are grounded, and they step out of their boundaries to help people when they need to,” Lynn says.