A Police Chief's Award For a Job Well-Done

During the recent swearing-in ceremony of a Greenwich Police recruit, Police Chief James Heavey departed from the usual proceedings that are held at Town Hall.

Among those attending the Jan. 2 ceremony was Mary Jo Iannuccilli, the town's assistant human resources director, who's overseen the hiring of more than two dozen officers and 17 promotions during Heavey's two-year tenure.

To her surprise, Heavey called Iannuccilli to the podium and presented her with the Chief's Award of Excellence. Heavey praised Iannuccilli's perservance in "finding the best officers for Greenwich."

"Mary Jo has taken a lot of pride in her effort to hire the best candidates," Heavey said. "This is a very rare occurrence to give this award," which is a replica of the chief's gold badge.

Both Heavey and First Selectman Peter Tesei, who's also the town's Police Commissioner, congratulated Iannuccilli's pending retirement. "We know you won't be a stranger around town. We'll probably see you at (Greenwich) Point," Tesei said.

Iannuccilli said, "It's been an honor and privilege to work with the Greenwich Police Department. It's exciting and rewarding. It's exciting to see them come back (from training) and see them on the street. It's a nice feeling to be a part of it."