CT State Swears In First Chief of Police
Connecticut native Christopher Chute is now Connecticut State Community College’s inaugural chief of police following a public swearing-in ceremony today at Naugatuck Valley Community College.
The event included students, faculty and staff from Connecticut State Community College’s (CT State) 12 community colleges, Chute’s family, and police and municipal leaders from throughout Connecticut. Chute’s appointment, which was approved by the Board of Regents for Higher Education, is effective immediately.
Chute will assume a role leading safety, security and law enforcement and emergency preparedness for Connecticut’s 12 community colleges across 18 locations, with about 5,000 employees and close to 60,000 credit and non-credit students each year.
“This position is a critical step forward as we continue toward merging our 12 community colleges into a single CT State,” said CT State President John Maduko, M.D. “The priorities of this position are essential to ensuring protection, quality of campus life, and fair and equitable treatment for all members of our campus communities.”
“We are excited to have someone with such a solid background and influence in his field joining our team in this important role,” added Rob Steinmetz, Ed.D., CT State's executive vice president of college services and student affairs. “His extensive experience in Connecticut, dedication to the larger community, and leadership acumen make him well-suited for the scope and responsibilities of this position.”
In his new position, Chute will work closely with campus police and security staff, leaders, faculty, staff, and students to continue ensuring that the colleges are safe and secure places to learn, work and collaborate. He will also lead the department in the implementation of best practices and innovative approaches in public safety, including the standardization of policies, procedures, and preparedness while expanding the use of technology and emphasizing the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.
“I promise to lead and build this police department to serve the needs of each campus across the state, and to instill integrity, professionalism, transparency, and accountability,” said Chute, who will spend his first few weeks visiting campuses and listening to stakeholders. “I am committed to implementing policies and practices that will provide the best public safety for this educational system.”
Chute has more than 26 years of experience in progressively responsible roles within the New Britain Police Department. For the past four years, he has served as chief of police, where he initiated and implemented several community outreach projects and led the organization through organizational changes before his retirement in January. He has also developed curriculum and taught as an adjunct instructor at two Connecticut universities at the undergraduate and graduate level, and is a certified instructor for the Police Standards and Training Council.
Chute holds a master’s degree in computer information technology and a bachelor’s degree in political science and public administration. He also holds professional certificates as a certified forensic computer examiner and certified polygraph examiner.
About CT State
The 12 community colleges in Connecticut are merging in 2023 to become CT State Community College, one of the largest community colleges in the country and largest in New England, dedicated to quality, access and affordability. CT State students will be able to apply once and take classes at any campus. Locations include Asnuntuck (Enfield), Capital (Hartford), Gateway (New Haven and North Haven), Housatonic (Bridgeport), Manchester, Middlesex (Middletown and Meriden), Naugatuck Valley (Waterbury and Danbury), Northwestern (Winsted), Norwalk, Quinebaug Valley (Danielson and Willimantic), Three Rivers (Norwich), and Tunxis (Farmington). Find out more at www.ctstate.edu/becoming.