Restoring outreach efforts: Tim Rinaldo is appointed community service officer
by Mark Jahne
Editor
Photos by Mark Jahne
Community policing involves making connections with the community. It means reaching out to demonstrate that the Newington Police Department cares about everyone’s health and safety.
Each member of the department does this as part of his or her daily duties but it helps to have one person assigned exclusively to this task. That person is Master Police Officer Tim Rinaldo.
He now carries the title of community service officer and will spend plenty of time in the schools, with senior citizens, and with as many other groups and individuals as possible. The only school resource officer is assigned exclusively to the high school.
NPD has had designated community service officers in the past but lost that position when his predecessor Jamie DeSimone retired four years ago. The department was facing a staffing shortage and the priority was to make sure the patrol and detective positions were filled.
Now that full staffing is close to being achieved Chief Christopher Perry decided to reinstate the position and appointed Rinaldo to the job on a full-time basis.
“You have to fill the patrol shifts first,” Perry said.
“We try to stay as active in the community as we can. We are also planning to reinstate our Citizens Police Academy. We’re also in the process of getting a therapy dog” through an organization called Puppies Behind Bars.
“The idea is to get into the middle schools and elementary schools a little bit more to bridge the gap between the kids and the police,” Rinaldo said.
“I want to work on building that trust. My job is to be here for people and help people. I also do child seat checks and installation. There are two of us who are certified to do that.”
Students will start seeing him at school assemblies, recess and lunch. He said law enforcement has a lot of work to do to combat the negative image on social media posts. He knows this will take time to accomplish and is encouraged by the general acceptance officers have throughout the community.
He and several fellow officers held a picnic Sept. 4 for members of the Newington Senior & Disabled Center. They were joined by volunteer EMTs from Newington EMS.
He participated in and helped to organize the recent National Night Out celebration. Among the events on his schedule are the “Tip a Cop” dinner at Puerta Vallarta restaurant on the Berlin Turnpike, a Boy Scouts Touch a Truck event and Stuff a Cruiser to collect Christmas gifts for needy children.
“I’m open to attending any community events,” he said. “I’m only one person but I’m responsible for a police department of 53 people.”
If the Citizens Police Academy returns, he will play a major role in that.
The Glastonbury resident grew up in South Windsor and graduated from East Catholic High School. That was followed by higher education in three different colleges. He is maintaining a family tradition.
“My dad was a police officer for 42 years,” first in East Hartford, and then in Avon, where he was the chief.
Rinaldo joined NPD in 2007. He has served as a patrol officer, was a member of the Emergency Response Team, and is part of the peer support team. He considers the latter vital for helping officers deal with the trauma and challenges they sometimes face in this line of work. NL
To reach MPO Rinaldo call 860-594-6231 or email trinaldo@newingtonct.gov.