Connecticut State Police Colonel Stavros Mellekas has retired, and the state public safety commissioner has named an interim colonel.
Commissioner James C. Rovella has appointed Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Loughman as interim colonel of the Connecticut State Police, effective Nov. 1.
Rovella, who will be stepping down this month, made the appointment after conferring with the incoming DESPP Commissioner Ronnell Higgins.
Mellekas served the state police for nearly three decades.
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“For the last three decades, Colonel Mellekas has provided dedicated and loyal service to the Connecticut State Police and the people of our state,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement. “His commitment to public safety is to be applauded, and on behalf of the residents of Connecticut I thank him for his service and the many sacrifices he has made over the years to protect our communities.”
Loughman has served as a state trooper for nearly 18 years and has been a member of the state police command staff for seven years.
His most recent assignment was as commanding officer of the Office of Professional Standards and Training.
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He was previously appointed to the Labor Relations Unit and was Commanding Officer of various Troops in the Central and Western Districts.
Colonel Loughman graduated from the FBI National Academy and has a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York, Oneonta and a graduate certificate from the University of Virginia in Criminal Justice Education.
State police said he has earned the agency’s Medal for Outstanding Service.
“I thank DESPP Commissioner Rovella and incoming DESPP Commissioner Ronnell Higgins for the opportunity to further serve the state of Connecticut. As Troopers, our first priority is public safety and during my interim tenure, I will continue to work alongside all Connecticut State Troopers to ensure that safety, trust, and integrity are maintained,” Loughman said in a statement. “Since 1903, the men and women of the Connecticut State Police have served with pride and reliability. I am honored to lead this agency.”
“During my entire career, I have worked with and learned a great deal from Colonel Stavros Mellekas. On behalf of the State Police, I thank him for his many years of service and wish him the very best in his retirement,” Loughman added.
The governor announced in October that Rovella and Mellekas would be retiring.
The change in state police leadership comes at a time when U.S. Department of Justice investigators are looking into whether dozens of state troopers falsified information about traffic stops that were never made. Lamont also called for an independent investigation, which a former federal prosecutor is leading.
The information in question was entered into a database that tracks the race and ethnicity of drivers stopped by police, under a Connecticut law aimed at preventing racial profiling.
Auditors said the alleged false data was more likely to identify motorists as white, which skewed the race and ethnicity data collected to compile statewide reports. The reports have shown nonetheless that Black and Hispanic drivers are pulled over at disproportionate rates compared with white motorists.
The Connecticut State Police Union has cautioned against making any conclusions about troopers’ conduct before the investigations are complete. It says more than two dozen troopers already have been cleared of wrongdoing in connection with the traffic citation data, and it expects more to be cleared.
Union officials have said many discrepancies found in the audit could be due to recordkeeping or data entry errors.
In August, the state police union voted no confidence in both Rovella and Mellekas, accusing them of not defending troopers against allegations involving the traffic stop data.
Rovella said last month that his stepping down did not have to do with the investigation.
“We had a conversation, it was included, but it was not the driving force behind this,” he said.
The Connecticut State Police Union released a statement on Wednesday about Loughman's new role.
"The Connecticut State Police Union leadership is excited and optimistic with Commissioner Higgins’ decision
to select a unique leader, who is well respected by his peers and has the experience necessary to lead the agency
in a positive direction. Colonel Loughman has a proven history of being compassionate, knowledgeable, and
firm, but always fair when holding employees accountable. We are confident that Colonel Loughman has the
necessary character, leadership skills and mutual respect required to successfully lead the agency and our
members into the future," the statement says, in part.