The Derby Police Department and city welcomed the new police chief Tuesday with a change of command ceremony at Derby City Hall.
Chief Gerald Narowski officially became the 13th chief of the department on Oct. 12, with the retirement of Chief Eugene Mascolo.
Tuesday’s ceremony was held to formally and publicly make the transition.
“Every successful chief must fully understand the responsibility, authority and accountability that goes with this job,” Narowski said during the ceremony. “It is the triad of command.”
Narowski started at the department as a supernumerary patrol officer in 1987. He moved up the ranks to a regular patrol officer, detective, detective sergeant, and deputy chief.
Narowski grew up in Derby, and attended St. Michael’s School and then Derby High School.
He got a bachelors degree in criminal justice from the University of New Haven, and his masters in forensic science from the same university.
Narowski now teaches at UNH.
“I don’t know, chief. Should we call you chief or professor,” Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri joked during his remarks.
“I wish you many years of success leading our police men and women into the future,” Staffieri said.
Narowski said he looks forward to the task, and thanked Mascolo for “laying a groundwork I will earnestly follow.”
Mascolo, who served as chief from 2006 to 2010, was unable to be at the ceremony Tuesday.
Mascolo has accepted a full-time position for the National Guard, where he is ranked a colonel.
“Every chief begins his tenure evaluating what works in an organization, and what could be done better,” Narowski said. “As a department, we have always supported transparent, forward-thinking philosophy, and that has served us well in the past.”
To view all of Narowski’s comments, press play on the video.
