Seymour Police Chief Paul Satkowski
SEYMOUR — Police Chief Paul Satkowski is planning to step down after more than three decades in law enforcement.
While Satkowski didn’t officially hand in a letter of resignation yet, he made his intentions known during the April 21 meeting of the Seymour Board of Police Commissioners.
“Effective December 31, 2021, I will be stepping down from my position as Chief of Police of the Seymour Police Department,” Satkowski told the commission. “This is after serving a total of 32-plus years in law enforcement, the last 26 and a half years at the Seymour Police Department. I am eternally grateful for all the opportunities I have had in my law enforcement career and thank all those who have supported me.”
Satkowski, 54, told the commission he plans to make a formal announcement to the community as his retirement date gets closer.
Reached by email after the meeting, Satkowski didn’t say why he’s leaving, but said don’t count him out of public service just yet.
“As far as retirement goes I will be reviewing different options for what comes next, but public service may not be over,” Satkowski said. “I will see what happens. That is all I can say right now.”
The commission, at its meeting, unanimously voted to extend Satkowski’s three-year contract, which is up June, until the end of December. None of the commissioners commented on Satkowski’s announcement.
Reached after the meeting by email, Commission Chairman Kyle Kelley expressed gratitude for Satkowski’s many years of service to the town.
“We would like to thank the Chief for his many years of service with the Seymour Police Department, many of which were served within the administration,” Kelley said. “We also wish him and his family well on his retirement and on whatever new endeavors he embarks on.”
Satkowski was promoted to Chief in 2018, replacing former Chief Michael Metzler who retired after 42 years in law enforcement.
Prior to being named Chief, Satkowski served as Deputy Police Chief since 2014, but had been acting second in command for several years prior. The married father of two began his law enforcement career in neighboring Derby as a supernumerary in 1989. He came to Seymour in 1995 as a patrol officer (was the department’s first bike patrol officer), eventually climbing the ranks to patrol sergeant, administrative lieutenant, assistant commanding officer, commanding officer, deputy chief and finally top brass.
Satkowksi graduated with honors from Charter Oak State College in New Britain and summa cum laude from Naugatuck Valley Community College with degrees in criminal justice. He was also a 2005 graduate of the FBI National Academy.
He’s always been a big fan of community service, having volunteered as a soccer coach, with his church and with the Seymour Father’s Club.
During his time as chief, Satkowski in part has worked to strengthen public relations, get officers more crisis and intervention training and helped bolster school security. He has presided over two particularly tragic incidents, one last summer where a mother and son took their own lives in a horrific crash into the Housatonic River, and most recently last week when two women and a toddler were killed in a head-on collision on Roosevelt Drive.
Satkowski is also no stranger to doing his part to raise money for charities, including the $1,600 he raised for the Connecticut Special Olympics. In 2018 when he rappelled down 30 floors of the Mohegan Sun Casino building (the state’s second tallest building) during the “Toss the Boss” challenge. During his career, Satkowski has earned numerous accolades and awards, and in 2017 participated in a national community policing forum at the White House.
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