WPRO News
New Haven city officials announced Tuesday that Police Chief Dean Esserman has resigned from his position, effective Sept. 2. Esserman previously served as Police Chief in Providence.
“Crime and violence have steadily and consistently decreased in New Haven throughout the nearly five years of Chief Esserman’s tenure and I’m grateful for the chief’s successful legacy,” Mayor Toni Harp said in a press release. “Public safety in New Haven is improved after a return to grass roots community policing, productive partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, and positive interaction with community organizations.”
Esserman had been given a 15-day paid leave of absence on July 25 after he allegedly berated a waitress at a local restaurant.
In 2014, the chief was chastised after an incident during a football game at the Yale Bowl, where he allegedly berated an usher when questioned on whether or not he had a ticket to the game. He also was suspended without pay for a day when he was chief in Providence in 2011 for reportedly threatening to throw coffee in the face of a sergeant.
The latest incident comes after a ‘no confidence vote’ from the police union.
“It has been a privilege to serve Mayor Harp and work alongside the remarkable men and women of the New Haven Department of Police Service, who no doubt have earned the title, ‘New Haven’s Finest,’” said Esserman in a statement. “Last and certainly not least, it has been my privilege to serve the wonderful people of New Haven – I am so very grateful for having had this opportunity to do so.”
