Acting Police Chief Vernon L. Riddick Jr. will be sworn in as the permanent Waterbury Police Chief on Friday, October 4, 2013 at 6:00 pm at the Palace Theater which is located at 120 East Main Street in Waterbury. Speakers will include Mayor Neil M. O’Leary, State’s Attorney Maureen Platt, Police Chief Vernon Riddick, and other elected officials and dignitaries. Prior to the swearing in, a church service will be held at 4:45 pm at the Grace Baptist Church which is located at 65 Kingsbury Street. Following the service, Chief Riddick will lead a procession south on North Elm Street and west on East Main Street to the Palace Theater for the 6:00 pm swearing in ceremony. Members of the procession will include uniformed officers, the Waterbury Police Pipes and Drum Corps, and other dignitaries.
Police Chief Riddick is a lifelong resident of Waterbury and he is the first African-American Chief in the history of the Waterbury Police Department. He is a graduate of Kennedy High School in Waterbury and he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Tufts University. He also attended Rutgers Law School and he is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration Degree from Post University.
Police Chief Riddick joined the Waterbury Police Department in 1994 and he has risen through the ranks serving as a Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and Deputy Chief. He has served in a many capacities within the Department, including the Patrol Division, the Internal Affairs Division, and he is the former commander of the Department’s Emergency Response Team (SWAT). He has completed numerous police training classes in areas such as Police Management, Internal Affairs, and SWAT Command. He is a graduate of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association’s Command Institute (LEEDA) and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute of Police (SMIP).
Police Chief Riddick is a very active member of the community serving as a deacon at his church and he is the vice-president of the Waterbury Police Activity League. He is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).