STAMFORD -- After 40 years in uniform and nearly three years as the city's top cop, Chief Robert Nivakoff announced Thursday he will leave the department at the end of the month.
Nivakoff, 60, who officially took over as chief in February 2010, but took control of the department the previous December, said he turned over many of his daily and operational duties to assistant Chief Jon Fontneau last week.
Nivakoff said he has accomplished much during his tenure and it is time for him to leave.
"In 2009, Mayor (Michael) Pavia tasked me with the modernizing of the Police Department technically, with neighborhood policing and computerization," said Nivakoff, who took the top position after Chief Brent Larabee -- currently East Haven police chief -- left Stamford after five years with the department. "To me it is now a contemporary police department.
"I feel that I did my best to fill the mandate he had given me. I've enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Mayor Pavia and I believe the department has become exponentially and significantly adept at every facet that a contemporary city would expect from its policemen and women."
Pavia, who served on the Police Commission from 1983 to 1991, said Nivakoff built an "entirely different department" equipped with a bomb squad, hostage negotiation capabilities and special dog units.
"I have an insight into how the Police Department operates, how it functions and how it serves the public," Pavia said Thursday. "But I have never seen the level of service in that department increase the way it has increased under the leadership of Chief Nivakoff. He has taken us from a provincial police department that served the public well into a modern city department that is serving the public even better."
Public Safety Director Ted Jankowski said: "Chief Nivakoff has been an outstanding police chief whose steadfast dedication to law enforcement, the city of Stamford and the department has been exemplary. He is a man of honor and integrity who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership throughout his career."
"Finding an individual with his experience, management skills, vision and humanity will be difficult to replace. It is no accident that the city of Stamford is one of the safest cities in the United States and in the Northeast."
Fontneau, 56, who will be named interim chief until the position is filled, said the men and women of the department have great respect for Nivakoff.
"Robert Nivakoff is and has always been a cop's cop," said Fontneau, a Stamford High School graduate who began his police career in Stamford in 1980, the same year Nivakoff transferred from The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Noting how Nivakoff came up through the ranks, Fontneau said, "He has been a great leader. He has brought the Police Department into the 21st century and improved many facets of the police department including training, our equipment and technology. Whoever is chosen following Bob's departure has some very big shoes to fill."
Nivakoff, who was named one of three Distinguished Chiefs of 2011 by the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut, said his health was a significant factor in his decision to retire.
With 15 years as a patrolman, 14 years as a sergeant and the rest as a lieutenant and chief, Nivakoff said he has had 56 injuries on the job, including four concussions, and is fighting skin cancer and facing a back operation.
"This is a 24/7 job and the injuries that I sustained in my 20s, 30s and 40s have come back to bite me," said Nivakoff, who still works out at a gym and teaches criminology two days a week at Westchester Community College.
He said he is recommending Fontneau's appointment as police chief on a permanent basis.
Nivakoff, 60, who officially took over as chief in February 2010, but took control of the department the previous December, said he turned over many of his daily and operational duties to assistant Chief Jon Fontneau last week.
Nivakoff said he has accomplished much during his tenure and it is time for him to leave.
"In 2009, Mayor (Michael) Pavia tasked me with the modernizing of the Police Department technically, with neighborhood policing and computerization," said Nivakoff, who took the top position after Chief Brent Larabee -- currently East Haven police chief -- left Stamford after five years with the department. "To me it is now a contemporary police department.
"I feel that I did my best to fill the mandate he had given me. I've enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Mayor Pavia and I believe the department has become exponentially and significantly adept at every facet that a contemporary city would expect from its policemen and women."
Pavia, who served on the Police Commission from 1983 to 1991, said Nivakoff built an "entirely different department" equipped with a bomb squad, hostage negotiation capabilities and special dog units.
"I have an insight into how the Police Department operates, how it functions and how it serves the public," Pavia said Thursday. "But I have never seen the level of service in that department increase the way it has increased under the leadership of Chief Nivakoff. He has taken us from a provincial police department that served the public well into a modern city department that is serving the public even better."
Public Safety Director Ted Jankowski said: "Chief Nivakoff has been an outstanding police chief whose steadfast dedication to law enforcement, the city of Stamford and the department has been exemplary. He is a man of honor and integrity who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership throughout his career."
"Finding an individual with his experience, management skills, vision and humanity will be difficult to replace. It is no accident that the city of Stamford is one of the safest cities in the United States and in the Northeast."
Fontneau, 56, who will be named interim chief until the position is filled, said the men and women of the department have great respect for Nivakoff.
"Robert Nivakoff is and has always been a cop's cop," said Fontneau, a Stamford High School graduate who began his police career in Stamford in 1980, the same year Nivakoff transferred from The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Noting how Nivakoff came up through the ranks, Fontneau said, "He has been a great leader. He has brought the Police Department into the 21st century and improved many facets of the police department including training, our equipment and technology. Whoever is chosen following Bob's departure has some very big shoes to fill."
Nivakoff, who was named one of three Distinguished Chiefs of 2011 by the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut, said his health was a significant factor in his decision to retire.
With 15 years as a patrolman, 14 years as a sergeant and the rest as a lieutenant and chief, Nivakoff said he has had 56 injuries on the job, including four concussions, and is fighting skin cancer and facing a back operation.
"This is a 24/7 job and the injuries that I sustained in my 20s, 30s and 40s have come back to bite me," said Nivakoff, who still works out at a gym and teaches criminology two days a week at Westchester Community College.
He said he is recommending Fontneau's appointment as police chief on a permanent basis.
During his time as chief, Nivakoff said he was proud to have revived aspecial weapons and tactics team, enlarged and diversified the K-9 Unit from two dogs to seven, instituted critical-incident training in dealing with emotionally disturbed people for every member of the department, expanded the bomb squad and put together a hostage negotiation team.
He said he did not do as much as he hoped in one area.
Though he said he made significant inroads to reduce overtime, he readily concedes he was unable to cut overtime to the satisfaction of government officials.
In August, police overtime was $391,000, compared with $500,000 in August 2008, he said, adding the cuts were made while increasing service with a smaller staff.
"In economic hard times, to keep the quality of life for the citizens of Stamford, I made as many proactive choices as possible to reduce overtime, but I wasn't successful enough," he said.
Nivakoff said he spent his happiest years from about 1990 to 2001 as a patrol sergeant on the city's West Side.
"I loved the West Side community. It is where I felt I did the most good. I was happy there," he said.
It was a superior who suggested that he should spend some time on the front desk to become a more rounded police officer. With the threat of desk work looming, and after passing up five lieutenants exams while a sergeant on the West Side, Nivakoff said he realized it was time to hit the books and earn his lieutenant's stripes.
Nivakoff said he has mixed emotions about leaving.
"Everybody reaches a point in life when they felt they have given it their all. I have clearly tried. I love the police and the people in this city. It was a tough decision; however it is time," he said.
Eloise Jordan, who has known Nivakoff for 35 years growing up on the West Side, said Nivakoff's retirement marks the end of an era and the veteran cop will be "truly, truly missed."
Jordan said when her father died in 1989 while she was living in Southfield Village, Nivakoff and other officers helped her family.
"They just brought a lot of food for the house and kept bringing food and sat there talking to us and helped all of us through a difficult time," she said.
Though Jordan, who now lives on the East Side, said Nivakoff had a "heart of gold," he "had to have a hard exterior to hold his ground in Southfield Village.
"It was rough up there. Robert came in there, walked the beat and talked to the kids. Whatever you needed at that time, he was there to help you out. If you needed a shoulder to cry on, he was there."
He said he did not do as much as he hoped in one area.
Though he said he made significant inroads to reduce overtime, he readily concedes he was unable to cut overtime to the satisfaction of government officials.
In August, police overtime was $391,000, compared with $500,000 in August 2008, he said, adding the cuts were made while increasing service with a smaller staff.
"In economic hard times, to keep the quality of life for the citizens of Stamford, I made as many proactive choices as possible to reduce overtime, but I wasn't successful enough," he said.
Nivakoff said he spent his happiest years from about 1990 to 2001 as a patrol sergeant on the city's West Side.
"I loved the West Side community. It is where I felt I did the most good. I was happy there," he said.
It was a superior who suggested that he should spend some time on the front desk to become a more rounded police officer. With the threat of desk work looming, and after passing up five lieutenants exams while a sergeant on the West Side, Nivakoff said he realized it was time to hit the books and earn his lieutenant's stripes.
Nivakoff said he has mixed emotions about leaving.
"Everybody reaches a point in life when they felt they have given it their all. I have clearly tried. I love the police and the people in this city. It was a tough decision; however it is time," he said.
Eloise Jordan, who has known Nivakoff for 35 years growing up on the West Side, said Nivakoff's retirement marks the end of an era and the veteran cop will be "truly, truly missed."
Jordan said when her father died in 1989 while she was living in Southfield Village, Nivakoff and other officers helped her family.
"They just brought a lot of food for the house and kept bringing food and sat there talking to us and helped all of us through a difficult time," she said.
Though Jordan, who now lives on the East Side, said Nivakoff had a "heart of gold," he "had to have a hard exterior to hold his ground in Southfield Village.
"It was rough up there. Robert came in there, walked the beat and talked to the kids. Whatever you needed at that time, he was there to help you out. If you needed a shoulder to cry on, he was there."
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