ENFIELD -- He first walked the beat in 1980 and, next Wednesday, Chief Carl Sferrazza will walk out of the Enfield Police Department with 38 years of experience behind him.
"I'm just grateful I've had this opportunity," Sferrazza said.
When asked if he remembers his very first day on the job back in 1980, Sferrazza said, "I do, I was supposed to report for work at 8 a.m., I showed up at 6 a.m. I was just so elated to be given this opportunity."
Sferrazza, who grew up in Enfield and graduated from Fermi High School said when he began his career, there was no Snapchat, Twitter, or Facebook and still believes that while technology can help in policing, the most effect tool is still face to face communication.
"There is no app out today that will substitute one on one communication," Sferrazza sad. "Officers having empathy for the people you serve, we'll never have an app for that."
Ernie Nolasco, who owns Figaro, one of the chief's favorite dinner spots in Enfield, said of his frequent customer, "he's everything to this town, you call him and he picks up the phone right away."
Captain Fred Hall, who joined the Enfield force 30 years ago said of Sferrazza, "he has a lot of vision, he cares about his people. He was a good chief and a good human being." Sferrazza added, "I'm just so thankful I had this opportunity to serve not only as a police officer but in my home town which I love more than anything -- Enfield."
Colonel Rick Fox, from the Connecticut State Police is slated to take over as the new Enfield Chief of Police starting Monday, March 12.
