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NORWALK, Conn. The Norwalk.DailyVoice.com accepts signed, original letters to the editor. Letters may be emailed to letters@dailyvoice.com.
To the Editor,
First and most importantly, I believe it is an excellent choice that Deputy Chief Kulhawik has been formally installed as the new chief of police. He has served loyally under Chief Rilling and during his tenure as second in command of the department he has obtained the experience and skills necessary to lead the department. He has earned and he deserves the promotion and I believe that he is the best choice for the position. I am confident that he will serve the department and community well.
On the other hand, the other part of this process has been extremely disappointing because contrary to some news reports and information being supplied to the public, it must be made clear that no members of the command staff had an opportunity to submit any type of application for the deputy chief's position. I am sure there are numerous members of the staff who would have gladly presented their credentials and résumés for a fair, competitive review, but from what appears to have happened in this case, no one had that chance. The appointment appears to have been part of some pre-determined outcome, and I believe the process was not fair to the other members of the department who were interested in the position. It is inappropriate that the process was conducted this way, and the only conclusion that can be drawn is the process was tainted by favoritism. This is not good for the department, the community, or the person appointed, because it weakens the moral authority to lead. The department and the community deserve better and deserve an open, competitive, impartial process within the department to ensure that the process is fair and the most qualified candidates are chosen.
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