Groton ― David Burton, a former Waterford police lieutenant, is the City of Groton’s new police chief.

Burton recently served as police chief of the Socorro Police Department in Texas, said City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick. Socorro is a city outside of El Paso, Texas, with a population of 34,306 in the 2020 U.S. Census.

Burton, who grew up in Waterford, retired in 2019 as police lieutenant in Waterford and also had served as leader of the regional dive team, among other roles, Hedrick said at last week’s mayor and council meeting.

Hedrick said Monday that the city received 10 applications for the position. A panel of three police chiefs conducted the first round of interviews, and then Hedrick, city Human Resources Director Linda Avedisian, and Erick Jenkins, the city’s police chief at the time, conducted the second round of interviews. Hedrick individually interviewed the final three candidates and selected Burton.

Hedrick said he selected Burton “based on his experience and based on his engagement with the community and engagement with law enforcement personnel.”

The City Council approved his appointment on July 17, and City Clerk Dani Baycura swore him into office.

Burton, who could not immediately be reached Monday afternoon, told the council on July 17 that he has a lot of experience in the area working with the city’s police department. He said the department has a solid reputation so he’s very pleased to get the appointment.

“I will bring my knowledge, my experience, and I am the teacher, the tutor, the mentor so it’s my job to make sure the men and women in this room who wear the uniform understand the visions of the City Council, understand the visions and the needs of the community,” Burton said. “We’ll put all that together and we’ll be successful in that role. Thank you very much for this opportunity.”

During his tenure with the Socorro Police Department, Burton saw some high-profile cases, including saving migrant girls from alleged sex trafficking, according to the New York Post, a police chase following a domestic violence incident, and investigating a shooting at a graduation party, according to the El Paso Times.

Jenkins, the city’s police chief since 2021 and a member of the police department for more than 30 years, retired on July 7. Police Capt. Patricia Lieteau served as acting police chief until Burton’s appointment.

k.drelich@theday.com