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02/21/2024 08:30 AMIn 2019, when Kevin Halloran was sworn in as the new North Branford Police Department (NBPD) Chief of Police, he arrived with a plan of action that would help the department grow, develop, and provide excellent community policing. Five years later, with those goals and many more accomplished, Halloran has completed his service to the Town of North Branford.
On Jan. 26, members of the Board of Police Commissioners, the NBPD, and town leaders congratulated Halloran on his retirement and thanked him for his service. With the close of this chapter, Halloran completes 35 years in policing, including eight years as Branford Chief of Police (Aug. 2011 to March 2019) among his 30 years with the Branford Police Department (BPD).
Kevin is succeeded in his NBPD role by Chief of Police James Lovelace. A veteran of NBPD leadership, Lovelace served as Deputy Chief of Police throughout Kevin’s NBPD tenure.
In a statement shared with The Sound, Lovelace said of Kevin’s leadership, “In the five years he has been the Chief of Police at North Branford, he has been instrumental in many progressive changes, as well as outstanding service to our community.”
One of Kevin’s first actions with the NBPD was to promote transparency between the department and the community. In 2019, he spearheaded both a video tour and open house tours for the public of the aging NBPD facility at 260 Forest Road. The fact that the outmoded, outgrown facility needed upgrading had been debated and discussed for many years prior to Kevin’s arrival. The tours opened a window for the public to see its cramped conditions, spaces converted with Band-Aid fixes to fit changing needs, flooding due to septic backup, and makeshift updates to accommodate mechanical upgrades and needed technology. Such items were just the tip of the iceberg among many other issues facing the building. Kevin’s effort may have helped to tip the balance to help town officials and police commissioners who had been calling for the new building to finally succeed in funding the need.
North Branford officially broke ground on the new police facility at 305 Forest Road in Feb. 2023. Construction of the $14 million police department, funded with $4.5 million in state funding and $1 million in federal Emergency Operations Center grant monies, is now closing in on completion.
Kevin also lauds public leaders for supporting the push to bring in NBPD’s cutting-edge radio system, which was activated in Dec. 2023. The first responder system for police, fire, and ambulance also ties in with the town’s Public Works department for comprehensive emergency response, fulfilling a long-standing need.
“The radio was something the town had already recognized as problematic and in need of upgrading. I’m glad to see its now operational. It is a comprehensive system that will enhance public safety and emergency response,” says Kevin.
Managed by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the integrated system provides radio coverage throughout North Branford and extends communication reach statewide. It also increases interoperability with public safety agencies in both neighboring towns and throughout the state for effective emergency response coordination.
From his first day as NBPD Chief of Police, Kevin felt grateful to have the support of the force and its staff.
“When I first arrived, I really didn’t know a lot of the people in the North Branford Police Department. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they worked together. One of their strengths has been that they were always very supportive of each other. And they were very supportive of me,” says Kevin.
Kevin grew up in North Branford and entered the electronics field after high school. He was studying and steering toward a career in the computer field when he first applied for a job as police officer about 15 years out of high school. He lived and worked out of state in Pittsburgh before returning to Connecticut.
Kevin joined the BPD as a patrol officer in 1989. Within a few years, with a desire to pass the sergeant’s exam, he followed a department mentor’s recommendation to continue his education.
“Maybe he saw potential in me that I didn’t,” says Kevin. “So, I went back to school. That was kind of the turning point.”
Kevin passed the exam and went on to be promoted to captain prior to rising to the role of Chief of Branford Police. He continued his education through 2010, when he earned his master’s in criminal justice/law enforcement from Tiffin University.
“I think it’s given me a more global perspective as to how things work,” says Kevin of his academic pursuits. “As you start to learn more about culture and people, you start to approach things differently.”
Kevin also taught policing courses at universities, including the University of New Haven. With both the BPD and NBPD, Kevin coupled his academic knowledge with his interest in using computer applications to create better policing outcomes in the community.
Kevin’s knowledgeable leadership style has also included encouraging department members to stretch their own abilities and educational experiences in order to enhance their careers and service to the community. Kevin credits Chief Lovelace for following this path in the past five years to further his academic foundations.
“Chief Lovelace went back to school and got his master’s degree, and we also made sure we sent him to the best schools in the United States for policing and getting that global perspective,” says Kevin.
As one of his strategic goals for the department—working with the Board of Police Commissioners—Kevin also created a succession plan for the next NBPD chief.
“The idea is to get the right people in the right spots, as opposed to maybe an entitlement sort of promotion that might put the wrong person in that spot,” Kevin says. “Chief Lovelace took a lot of steps to get to where he is and, hopefully, I’ve imparted some knowledge to him, as well!”
Kevin also enhanced the training at NBPD, so that officers receive opportunities to broaden their abilities and skill sets.
“Training can be a motivator for police officers, and there’s a lot of great training available. We’ve sent officers to some of the best courses in the country,” says Kevin. “I think they’ve enjoyed it, and now we have officers that are also specialists in different areas.”
During his NBPD tenure, Kevin also led the department in supporting the community through the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he helped see NBPD through changes to policing brought by recent tumultuous times which led state lawmakers to adopt the Police Accountability Law in 2020.
Looking back on the expanse of his 35 years in policing—and many significant accomplishments achieved during that time—Kevin says that he didn’t do it alone.
“The only reason I was able to get a lot done was the people that surrounded me. It wasn’t ‘The Kevin Halloran Show.’ It was a lot of good people that supported me and a lot of people that supported the police,” says Kevin. “I just maybe had a knack for bringing it to people’s attention. But it wasn’t me that did all the work. I had good teams in both towns.”
A Branford resident, Kevin says that it’s also important to thank his wife Pamela and their two children, Ryan and Shannon, for their support during his policing career.
“My wife has supported me throughout all these years, and the kids have always been good about the job, especially being chief, when the phone rings at all hours of the night,” Kevin says. “I went through some times when the town demanded a lot from me, so you miss holidays, you miss birthdays. Having the support of my family to do this job has always been instrumental to me.”
Having successfully passed the baton to the next chief, Kevin is enjoying himself as he considers what he will do next.
“I’m not real retirement material,” he says, laughing. “I’m sure I’ll find something.”