By Sean Fogarty, Courier Staff Writer:
The North Haven Police Department is one badge closer to
returning to full force with the swearing in last week of Frank Castiglione III
as a patrol officer.
Castiglione, 25, will begin his 22-week course at the Connecticut Police
Academy in Meriden on July 7. After training,
Castiglione will return to North Haven and spend
12 weeks riding with a senior officer. He will become an independent officer
around the middle of February.
The oldest of three siblings, Castiglione has been a
resident of North Haven for most of his life.
After graduating from Hopkins
in 2001, he attended Trinity, graduating in 2005 with a degree in public
policy. He’s now pursuing a master’s degree at his alma mater.
Castiglione said he applied at several police departments,
from Canton to Hartford,
but North Haven was always his top choice. His
decision was partially influenced by his friends and family.
“I have a cousin who was a New Haven police officer for 25 years,” he
said. “A lot of my friends are police officers and you hear them talking about
the job. It compelled me to get serious and apply.”
Castiglione said his goal is to give back to the community
and make a positive impact on people by working with a department that he says
“has a very strong reputation.”
His brother, Andrew, 22, followed in Frank’s footsteps and
also attended Trinity.
Andrew didn’t expect to see his brother as a police officer,
but said, “I think it’s a great thing, we’ve seen the police station all our
lives and now he is a part of it.”
The hiring process, which began with the Board of Police
Commissioners (BOPC) interviewing a number of candidates, takes some time.
The BOPC established a list and offered Castiglione a
conditional spot on the force after he finished his examinations, including
mental, physical, and background checks. Police Chief James DiCarlo said Castiglione
passed these with flying colors.
DiCarlo said this year’s recruitment was done “in-house,”
whereas in the past DiCarlo said the department has given the responsibility to
an outside agency.
After swearing in Castiglione, DiCarlo said, “I remember 35
years ago almost to the day I came on this force. Welcome to the organization
and good luck.”