Rodolico: Independent Ledyard Police Department 'Likely'

By Ellyn Santiago

Mayor John Rodolico said that despite what’s going on in the world around Ledyard, the town is “doing as well as can be expected.”

“We’re optimistic about where we’re headed,” Rodolico said at the Chamber of Commerce Eastern Connecticut Groton-Ledyard Division luncheon Wednesday during his State of Ledyard address.

“We still have liabilities. We still have high taxes, but we’re not number one, and that’s a good thing,” he said.

Rodolico talked about Ledyard’s assets including its “well-funded pension,” health care reserves and ability to fund long-term capital needs.

The mayor also shared his prediction for the future of law enforcement in Ledyard.

“I will make that decision (this year) and in all likelihood, we’re going to an independent police force,” he said. 

And that announcement was probably the headline from his address. Ledyard is one of a number of towns, like Montville, with police constabularies served by the Connecticut State Police Resident State Trooper program. He also said a decision on a possible plan to join a regionalized police and emergency dispatch is “coming,” perhaps as early as next week.

Rodolico boasted about recent development “successes” in the town including the new CVS and the voter-approved $6.5 million police facility project, which will include Town Hall upgrades.