New Lieutenants Bring Leadership, Experience to Southington PD

There isn’t much that longtime officers Mike Baribault and Lowell DePalma haven’t accomplished in their time as members of the .

The two newest members of the administrative leadership team at the department bring 52 years of experience and a seemingly endless list of achievements that Police Chief Jack Daly said will help shake things up – in a good way, that is.

“What we have here are two very capable individuals who bring a wealth of experience to the team. They have been given their assignments and both have such a knowledge about this community that I’m looking forward to a smooth and seamless transition.”

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DePalma, who formerly served as the public information officer and sergeant in the department’s community and support services division, while Baribault comes from the patrol division and has helped oversee 40 paid officers in the past. The Board of Police Commissioners promoted each of Friday after a selection process that included interviews with over a dozen qualified officers.

It’s a new era for the police department, which looks to turn good into great according to Steve Pestillo, chairman of the Board of Police Commissioners.

The two officers, both graduates, are part of the latest round of promotions following the retirements of Capt. Greg Simone, Lt. Clifford Saucier and Lt. Edward Slodzinski. on May 4 to replace Simone.

Although both DePalma and Baribault have a decorated history within the department, each took a different path on their way to becoming members of the leadership team.

Born in Naugatuck, DePalma came to Southington at the age of 14 and first became involved in the department as a supernumerary officer in 1980. In 1984, at the age of 26, he was granted access into the police academy and was hired full-time as a member of the patrol division.

“I had been working at Bruce Manufacturing and studying at Tunxis University at the time, but this was a job I had always wanted to do,” DePalma, now 53, said in a phone interview Monday. “I joined the department full-time in the same year that I married my wife and bought a home in Southington and it’s a decision I would never take back.”

After serving 13-years with the department, DePalma was promoted to sergeant and in 2002, he was asked to take on the role as the first-ever supervisor of the support services division. The division oversees youth services, media relations, crime prevention and public relation efforts.

DePalma has since earned a long list of awards and recognitions, including the following:

• Elks Club Officer of the Year.
• Grange Club Person of the Year.
• YMCA Person of the Year.
• Past Police Benevolence Association President.
• President George H.W. Bush letter of accommodation for Southington’s First DARE graduation.
• Merits from MADD and RIDD for efforts against alcohol/drugs by children.
• Received award from the Southington Drug Task for efforts made in drug education and enforcement.
• Commendation from Police Commission for efforts made in DARE/Crime Prevention efforts.
• Received eight different Commendation Service ribbons from the Southington Police Department. One of the ribbons in particular (Public Service) was for over 300 different letters of appreciation from the public.
• Received the Community Impact Award from the United Way.
• Received an official citation from the Connecticut State General Assembly (Senator Sam Caligiuri and State Representative Bruce "Zeke" Zalaski for works in Community Service, Albert Dudzik Award).
• Received commendation medal from Southington Town council for lifetime community service achievement
• Recently invited to Washington DC to IACP/DOJ as an advisor/consultant for IACP’s Center for Social Media.

“He’s been a strong leader and a good friend to many in the department,” Daly said.

DePalma credited his wife Lisa and his two children, 23-year-old Wade DePalma and 25-year-old Nina DePalma, for helping him achieve his goals and supporting him throughout the years.

As DePalma was earning awards for his work with the support services division, Baribault was establishing himself as a talented and dedicated patrol officer, Daly said.

A lifelong Southington resident and 1988 SHS graduate, Baribault said he always wanted to be a police officer. With the latest promotion, the decorated patrol specialist said he is simply continuing to live his childhood dream.

“When you are a young kid, every boy has a period where he wants to be a police officer or firefighter. I never really graduated from that,” Baribault said. “To be able interact with a lot of people I’ve known since I was little and work in community I grew up in – it really has been a dream.”

Baribault joined the department in 1992, then just 22 years old, after he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Western Connecticut State University. Almost instantly, he became an integral part of the department.

In 20 years with the department, Baribault has been an active and important member of the patrol division. He was promoted to sergeant in 2002 and has been a member of accident investigation unit and emergency response team, or ERT, helping to lead both over the past ten years. He remains in command of field training unit as the lead training officer.

Baribault still lives in Southington with his wife Beth Baribault and their two children, 16-year-old Alyson and 13-year-old Bret Baribault.

“It’s an exciting time; there will be a lot of new challenges ahead. I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.

Daly said Monday that despite their histories, he will be mixing up the assignments in having DePalma lead the patrol division and putting Baribault in charge of the support services division. It’s a change that he said would help make for a stronger, more rounded leadership team as the department prepares for the future.

Both men have shown a strong ability to adapt quickly, Daly said, and he looks forward to using both to help the department prepare for the future and continue to expand in a positive and proactive manner.

“Really, I think this is something we are both very excited about,” DePalma said. “In my time here, I’ve seen policing go through different eras, from political to a professional and now into a more community era. We are seeing a lot more needs in regard to a support role and on the front line.”

“Police will always be expected to arrest criminals, investigate cases and accidents and give tickets as needed, but the needs of the community are greater than that and we are happy to work alongside a chief who supports these new initiatives,” he said. “His philosophy is extensive and I am really looking forward to seeing this department grow.”

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