The people of Ledyard deserve their own police department, as do the officers who serve the town. Now, at last, it has happened.

On Thursday, in what was a bit of an anticlimax, the City Council voted to end the affiliation with the Connecticut State Police and transition to an independent department directed by a locally hired police chief. Only two people showed up for the public hearing preceding the unanimous vote. After several years of discussion, the change became official.

Heretofore, the town of 15,000 has employed a state police resident trooper to direct the police force. That was a functional system, but hardly ideal. A department led by a police chief can better integrate in the community, apply for grants and seek other funding sources, and take a long-term perspective in planning for the department’s future.

It also provides an added measure of pride for the 20 officers, who are welcoming the move.

The council may want to thank Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Democratic legislature for making its fiscal decision easier. A policy change boosted the cost of the lone resident trooper to $190,000, up from $146,000. It will cost less than that for a police chief.

The historic change is a capstone on what has been a remarkable term for Ledyard’s Republican mayor, John Rodolico. It was under his leadership that the town developed plans for a new police station and obtained voter approval for the $6.75 million project. That was another integral step for creating an independent police force.

Earlier this month, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the 11,300-square-foot two-story building in Ledyard Center.

During Mayor Rodolico’s watch, voters also approved a $65.8 million school construction project to renovate as new Gallup Hill Elementary School and Ledyard Middle School, while demolishing the outdated and problem-plagued Ledyard Center School.

That’s a lot of big changes over the course of a four-year term. And while many deserve credit for moving these changes forward, confidence in leadership at the top certainly helped.

Additionally, the mayor successfully quieted the rumblings over personnel issues at Town Hall, which he inherited when elected in 2011. Mayor Rodolico has decided to step aside after one term.

He leaves at the top of his game.