Stonington — Newly selected Stonington Police Chief Jay DelGrosso said he needs time to be able to win over a department that came out en masse to support the other finalist.

DelGrosso, 51, a lieutenant colonel with the Connecticut State Police, was approved Friday in a unanimous vote of the Board of Police Commissioners to replace current Chief J. Darren Stewart, who is retiring.

"I have to have some time to be able to show them that I can be an effective chief, somebody that they can trust," he said Saturday. "And I have to earn that."

He was chosen over Lt. Bryan Schneider, a 21-year veteran of the department described by supporters in the department and throughout the emergency services community as a proven, hardworking leader who brings stability and continuity to the department.

Schneider on Friday said he was grateful for the support he'd received and accepts the board's decision to go with DelGrosso. "I'm here to support the new chief in his new role in any way I can, and continue to serve the people of the town of Stonington," he said.

DelGrosso said he will retire from the state police April 1. A start date in Stonington has not yet been determined.

Schneider, the lone internal candidate, was first interviewed back in December. The board subsequently announced it would consider applications from outside candidates as well, stating the decision was "in no way a rejection of our internal candidate" but so the board could do "due diligence in this selection."

A letter endorsing Schneider, signed by 53 officers and civilians in the 55-member department, said they were shocked that the board would look outside the well-organized police force for its next chief.

Career trajectory

DelGrosso was a Stonington officer from 1993 to 2000, when he joined the state police. He is now part of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection command staff under Commissioner James Rovella, a former cop and chief in Hartford who took over the agency in early 2019.

DelGrosso's ascent through the state police ranks started after nine years in the agency, with a promotion to sergeant. In 2015, he became a lieutenant. In 2020, after he had been tapped as Rovella's chief of staff, DelGrosso skipped the rank of captain and was promoted to major in November 2020.

"I was only a major for a short period of time before the position of lieutenant colonel came up," he said of his January 2021 promotion. He currently serves as commanding officer for field operations.

DelGrosso previously served as commanding officer at the Troop E state police barracks in Montville, commanding officer of the Eastern District Major Crime Squad and commander of the State Police Eastern District, which covers Tolland, Windham, Middlesex and New London counties.

Board of Police Commissioners Chairman Bob O'Shaughnessy, also a former commander at the Troop E barracks, said the board vote was unanimous. He declined to go into specifics about DelGrosso's qualifications, referring only to the board-approved statement the chairman gave Friday.

"That was the statement that the commission approved," he said. "So without going back on them, I don't want to say anything else."

The commission said their charge was to select a candidate with the best skill set and experience to meet the present and future challenges of the community.

"As a Stonington resident and former Stonington officer, the commission feels that Jay is the right choice to lead the department and to help enhance community engagement here in Stonington," the statement said.

First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough said Stonington is fortunate to have had two strong candidates at a time when it's so challenging to be a police officer. "I'm looking forward to getting to know Jay DelGrosso and continuing our really strong working relationship with the entire police department," she said.

DelGrosso, a resident of town for more than 30 years, is married with children in the town's school system. He said he grew up in the capital area as the son of a Hartford police officer. He earned a bachelor's degree from Southern Connecticut State University.

He said his status as a longtime resident means he is well connected to the town, even if he hasn't worked in its police department since the start of his career.

"I haven't been there in 22 years, and I think it's going to be a little bit for the town to get used to," he said.

He said he has no worries about how he will be received because the members of the department have always been "extremely professional."

DelGrosso described himself as blessed to have been able to participate in the process.

"This is the place I wanted to be," he said. "But I never imagined it would come up at a time that I was ready to retire from the state police. It was pretty special that I had that opportunity."

e.regan@theday.com