The Ansonia Police Department named Officer Kevin Coonan its officer of the year last week.
Police Chief Kevin Hale said Coonan, an officer for 27 years, is a veteran leader.
“Especially the last couple years, Kevin’s really stepped up,” Hale said. “He displayed the qualities of that senior guy, that go-to guy that we can turn to and go to, especially younger newer guys know that they can go to Kevin for any type of advice.”
Hale presented the award to Coonan at a meeting of the city’s Police Commission.
The award is named for Brian Phipps, a decorated Vietnam veteran, brigadier general in the Army National Guard, and police commissioner in Ansonia for 13 years.
Phipps “was a warm, honest, and direct individual whose work ethic and ideals were evident to all who knew and admired him.”
Several members of Phipps’ family were in attendance at Monday’s meeting to see Coonan receive the award.
A committee of Hale, Lt. Andrew Cota, Detective Sgt. Patrick Lynch, Sgt. Jennifer Giusto, and, from the Police Commission, Chairwoman Ann Pitney and Vice Chairman Bob Goldson picked Coonan from nominations from the department’s officers.
The chief said Coonan epitomizes the qualities — courage, honor, decency, honor, loyalty, professionalism — that Phipps exemplified.
Which made him a fitting recipient for Brian F. Phipps Memorial Award of Excellence, Hale said.
“Kevin gets something, he goes with it, he’s going to do an intelligent and capable job on it, so it’s most deserving,” Hale said.
