History
The Town of Waterford, Connecticut was incorporated in 1801 and has a population of approximately 18,638 residents. The Town covers 36.7 square miles and is bounded on the East by the City of New London and the Thames River, the North by the Town of Montville, the West by the Niantic River which separates the Town from the Town of East Lyme, and the South by Long Island Sound.
The Town, formerly considered a rural farm community, is presently residential in nature with some light industry and numerous retail shops, including two shopping malls - The Crystal Mall and Waterford Commons. The Town is also home to Dominion Energy's three Nuclear Power plants located at Millstone Point.
The Waterford Police Department was officially organized by a Special Act #228 of the Connecticut General Assembly in 1939. Prior to this date, the Town was patrolled by a few Constables who worked on a fee basis along with the Connecticut State Police.
This method of operation continued until 1954, when four full-time Officers were sworn in. Police radios were purchased and placed in the Officer's private vehicles. In 1956, the Town purchased two police cruisers which were operated during the day and evening hours. Calls for service received after midnights were answered by a telephone-answering device. During this period the First Selectman of the Town was considered the "Chief of Police", though neither he nor the Police Officers received any formal training in the field of Law Enforcement.
In late 1957, Howard Sternberg, a retired Connecticut State Police Trooper, was hired as the first Chief of Police. In 1958 four new Officers were hired along with several supernumerary Officers, and formal training was instituted. At this time the Chief served under the Board of Selectmen, who also acted as the Board of Police Commissioners. The patrol was also increased to twenty hours a day.
In 1960, another four officers were hired bring the total number to twelve. By 1970, the Department had increased to twenty full time Officers. During the interim, a number of significant things had taken place: - A Board of Police Commissioners was established in March 1962. This was a five member autonomous board.
- Howard Sternberg, Chief of Police, passed away in 1962 from a heart attack and the Department operated under the direction of senior Sergeant Chester H. Brigham until 1964.
- A new Chief of Police, William H. Morse, was appointed in 1964. He was a retired Lieutenant from the Newport Rhode Island Police Department and served until 1970 when he also suffered a fatal heart attack.
- Lieutenant James A. Perkins was sworn in as the third Chief of Police in 1971.
- The Department moved from the basement of the old Hall of Records into a newly renovated building, formerly the Public Works building, located at 204 Boston Post Road. The new facility was an improvement over the two rooms the department had been operating from and included cells, a locker room, office space, garages, evidence storage, report rooms, a photo lab, a kitchen and all the amenities of a modern police facility.
In 1983 the Department consisted of thirty-seven Officers, four full time secretaries and eight supernumerary patrolmen. 1 Chief 4 Detectives
1 Deputy Chief 23 Patrolman
2 Lieutenants 4 Secretaries
6 Sergeants 8 Supernumerary The Department had seven marked cruisers, four unmarked cars, one boat and one four-wheel drive Blazer. Chief James A. Perkins retired in 1985. Deputy Chief William McGuire was then sworn in as the Department’s fourth Chief of Police. Chief William McGuire retired in 1989. Deputy Chief Murray J. Pendleton was then sworn in as the Departments fifth Chief of Police in 1990. Chief Pendleton joined the Waterford Police Department in 1967, after having served in the United States Air Force as a Security Police Officer and then as a Constable in the Town of Old Lyme, Connecticut. Chief Pendleton serves to this day. The Waterford Police Department went through another move into a newer more modern police facility in 1991. The new Waterford Police Department was built behind the existing station. The address of the Police Department changed to 41 Avery Lane, Waterford, Connecticut. This facility was the first of the Waterford Police Department buildings exclusively designed for police work. It has separate male and female cells along with separate male and female locker rooms for the Officers. There is more space for training, record keeping, vehicle maintenance, evidence storage, and increased office space. The facility includes technological security features and a modern video surveillance system. The former station was again remodeled and turned into the Public Safety Office, which houses the Office of the Fire Marshall, Emergency Management, and the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center. Present Overview of the Department
2006: The Department now consists of forty-three officers, six full time secretaries, five part time Community Service Officers, and two Police K-9s. 1 Chief 1 Detective Sergeant 5 Community Service Officers
1 Deputy Chief 3 Detectives 2 Police K-9s
3 Lieutenants 28 Patrolman
6 Sergeants 5 Secretaries The department has numerous marked and several unmarked cruisers, one boat, three four-wheel drive vehicles, and two ATVs.
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History 
