Overview

• On July 30, Mayor Arulampalam nominated James Rovella to permanently lead the department after his five-month tenure as interim chief following Tyrell McCoy’s departure
• The City Council is scheduled to vote on his confirmation on August 25
• A community advisory panel will host town halls across Hartford to collect resident feedback on public safety strategies
• Rovella previously served as Hartford’s chief from 2012 to 2018 and led the state’s Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection from 2019 until retiring in 2023
• His nomination follows past vetting controversies, including misconduct allegations against his predecessor candidate and a 2024 investigation that cleared him of limited wrongdoing in a ticketing scandal