New London — Police Chief Margaret Ackley’s last day on the job came and went Tuesday with little fanfare.

The only indication of her impending departure after 30 years on the force, including eight years as chief, came in the form of a Jan. 6 email sent to all the members of the police department.

In the email, she expressed her gratitude for the “privilege and honor” to work alongside officers and thanked them for the roles they played in “helping to make my years here such valuable ones.”

“My experience with you all has shown that the men and women of the NLPD consistently strive to ensure that the highest quality of service is provided to the citizens of New London. It is what our community has come to expect as a result of the dedication you have demonstrated, and I am confident that each of you will continue to expect nothing less of yourselves in your continued service to the city,” Ackley wrote.

Ackley has not been in the office since Nov. 8 due to a work-related injury.

Deputy Police Chief Peter Reichard, as he has been for intermittent stretches since his hiring in 2012, is acting police chief.

Mayor Michael Passero has expressed confidence in Reichard leading the department until the competitive process for the next chief starts. Otherwise, Passero said, Reichard would be able to run the department “as he sees fit.”

“We’re not putting any restrictions on him whatsoever. He’s a seasoned professional,” Passero said.

Reichard already has made two promotions, asked for the city’s permission to add a detective and announced upcoming community policing initiatives, which he said are aimed at better establishing a presence in neighborhoods across the city.

He was not available to comment Tuesday.

Ackley’s retirement ends years of turmoil that started shortly after her appointment in 2009 by former City Manager Martin Berliner.

She was the first female chosen to lead the department, and her appointment immediately was challenged by the City Council at the time and local police union, who had expected former police Capt. William Dittman to be the next chief. Dittman is now the chief of police at the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police Department.

It started a tumultuous relationship with the union, which over the years filed numerous grievances against her and alleged she had singled out union officials for retaliation for criticism. The union also had blamed her for an exodus of police officers who left for jobs at other departments during her tenure.

Local police union President Todd Lynch wished Ackley well in retirement but said her departure has many at the department “breathing an overall sigh of relief.”

Lynch has long been one of Ackley’s biggest critics and said there were dozens of officers who sought other jobs during her tenure and others who were “unjustly terminated,” a reference to the firing of police officers during the administration of former Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio. The union successfully fought for the reinstatement of several of those officers.

“She could never get along or work with the union,” Lynch said.

He said Ackley’s overall lack of leadership stems in part from her excessive time away from the job.

“I think it’s going to be a much better police department tomorrow,” Lynch said. “She laid her life on the line for the city for 30 years, but in order to lead you have to be there, and she hasn’t been there.”

Ackley appeared to be ready to retire in 2011, when Finizio was elected mayor, but signed a deal to stay. But the signed contract, which included a cash payment to settle harassment claims against mayoral candidate Michael Buscetto, later was rejected by the City Council and led to what is still a pending lawsuit filed by Ackley against the city.

Further strife occurred when several top officers, including Dittman, were ushered out the door by Finizio and into retirement.

Ackley’s relationship with Finizio eventually soured after Ackley filed a lawsuit against the city for a breach of contract and Finizio suspended her with pay for 10 months for allegations of misconduct that never materialized.

City Council member Erica Richardson, prior to her election to the council, remembers Ackley as someone who seemed eager to let the public understand her goal was to provide a more transparent and accessible police department. Richardson served as City Council president for a year before the council elected a new president in December.

“She always said, 'Anyone should be able to come into my office,'” Richardson said. “She was always out in the community. Her face, when she became chief, was visible at every event.”

Richardson said she believes that Ackley “became the scapegoat for the union and (Finizio).”

“Everyone liked Peg Ackley until she took the top spot and started making changes,” Richardson said.

It became a politically charged environment with many in the established political scene picking sides with Ackley’s detractors, she said.

“She’ll go out with her reputation tarnished because of a good ol’ boy practice,” Richardson said. “It’s kind of more of the same in New London until someone says enough is enough. There seems to be a problem here with female leadership.”

New London Police Capt. Lawrence J. Keating, with more than two decades of service at the department, wished Ackley a long and healthy retirement.

“I learned a lot from her rising up through the ranks,” Keating said. “It is not easy making it to the finish line as a police officer hired in the '80s who hit every rank on the way up and is going out as chief. She did well and deserves it.”

Keating joked that New London retirees typically look 10 years younger than when they left the job.

“And no one reports that retirement is overrated,” he said.

g.smith@theday.com