Reyes Tapped For #2 Cop Post

Lt. Tony Reyes, who grew up in the Hill and has overseen the police department’s homicide investigation and gang violence-reduction efforts, has been tapped to serve as the next assistant chief.

Acting Chief Anthony Campbell made the recommendation to promote Reyes to the Board of Police of Commissioners. The board is scheduled to vote on the recommendation next Tuesday night.

The expected promotion occurs at a time of transition for the department. Campbell became interim chief on Sept. 2, after Chief Dean Esserman was pushed out of the office amid controversy. A search is on for a permanent chief, Mayor Toni Harp said in an interview Thursday on WNHH radio. ​“I’ve asked city Chief Administrative Officer Mike Carter to pull together a search committee. … We’re not going to do a national search. What I would like to see are people who … at some point have done community-based policing here in New Haven.”

Two of the department’s four assistant police chief positions have been vacant since Campbell became interim chief. That left the two assistant chiefs, Archie Generoso and Luiz Casanova, performing double duties.

Reyes, who’s 44, has been on the force for 17 years. He has served as a district manager in the Hill as well as the head of the homicide unit and the major crimes unit. Assuming his promotion to assistant chief is approved as expected, Reyes will oversee patrol, the department’s largest division.

Campbell called Reyes a ​“strong leader” within the department.

“I think that Tony can bring about unification in the department. There’s been a lot of fracturing over the years. For a long time there’s been this limbo state the PD has been in. I think he can return us back to a lot of the order and structure we need in patrol,” Campbell said.

Reyes said Thursday that he’s ​“humbled” to be recommended for the job and ​“excited” to take on the challenge: ​“I’ve been here for the better part of my adult life. I’ve had an opportunity to develop relationships and serve the community I was born and raised in.”

Harp, who first met Reyes decades ago when he worked at the Grant Street Partnership Program with homeless drug addicts as a residential counselor, spoke of watching Reyes develop over the years. She called him ​“a child of New Haven” of whom the city can be proud.

Campbell said Lt. Herb Johnson will replace Reyes as chief of the detective division. Johnson currently heads the Bureau of Investigation; Campbell said he’ll meet with the assistant chiefs to figure out who should move into that slot.

Meanwhile, Lt. Herb Sharp, who retired this past May to take a security director position for Planned Parenthood, is returning to the police force. Campbell said he expects Sharp to resume working for the NHPD in late October after his paperwork is approved. He will stop receiving a pension and resume receiving his regular salary.