Hartford police chief to retire in February
Published: 01-01-2025 4:01 PM |
HARTFORD — Police Chief Greg Sheldon will retire at the end of February, Town Manager John Haverstock said in an announcement issued Monday afternoon.
“Some recent events have made me reevaluate things,” Sheldon said by email Monday afternoon. “My decision has nothing to do with my position, responsibilities, town staff, or police department staff,” he added.
Sheldon began his tenure in Hartford in February 2023, ending a two-year period during which the town did not have a permanent police chief.
After Phil Kasten resigned in 2021, Deputy Chief Brad Vail became interim chief. When Vail departed to lead Barre’s police force in March 2022, longtime department member Connie Kelley was appointed acting chief. Kelley now heads the department’s patrol division.
Before joining the Hartford department, Sheldon served for over two decades with the Rutland Police Department, eventually overseeing the patrol and outreach divisions.
Sheldon’s focus as Hartford’s top cop was shaped by a recognition that policing alone isn’t always the answer to public safety issues.
Somewhere between 80 to 85% of calls to which Hartford police respond do not involve criminal matters, Sheldon said in an interview last month. Good policing often involves “recognizing when we are not the right tool,” he added.
In Hartford, Sheldon spearheaded the creation of an outreach division to complement and support the work of the patrol and criminal investigation units. The outreach division includes an embedded social worker and substance use responder.
Article continues after...
Yesterday's Most Read Articles




Amy Wunderlich joined the division in October as Hartford’s first crime data analyst. Beginning in February, the department will hold its first “HartStat” meeting, at which Hartford’s crime statistics will be presented to the public and local social service organizations with whom the outreach division hopes to collaborate in a formal community coalition.
“Being the Police Chief for the Hartford Police Department has been one of my greatest honors and I have fond memories of my time here,” Sheldon said.
Plans for interim leadership and the search for the next police chief will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the announcement.
“While I am sorry to lose Greg, I certainly respect his wishes and wish him all the best as he pursues personal interests,” Haverstock said in the announcement.
Christina Dolan can be reached at cdolan@vnews.com or 603 727-3208