The last time Bridgeport looked for a permanent police chief in 2018 led to a scandal. Mayor Joe Ganim’s choice, A.J. Perez, was later convicted of rigging his own hiring process and sentenced to a year in federal prison. Rebeca Garcia has served as the city’s acting chief since 2020.
This time, the city said an international police chiefs’ association will take part in the process. Bridgeport will hold two community forums in June before the application process opens. Officials said they’ll present three candidates to Ganim in September.
Ganim said Bridgeport residents want an open and equitable process and encourage community input.
