HARTFORD, Conn. — Commissioner James Rovella is retiring as the state’s top public safety official, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Wednesday afternoon. Colonel Stavros Mellekas, the deputy commissioner to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) is also stepping down.
Lamont nominated Ronnell A. Higgins to be Rovella's successor.
“Every four years I think it's time to have a fresh start,” Lamont said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference at the state capitol.
The news comes as the state police are facing staffing shortages, union unrest, and a federal investigation into falsified traffic stops.
“My friend James Rovella is stepping aside, as well as Col. Mellekas, and I'm very pleased to be able to introduce to you Ronnell Higgins as the incoming Commissioner of Public Safety,” Lamont said.
Rovella, 65, is a former homicide investigator and Hartford police chief, before he became the commissioner of the DESPP in February 2019. In his role as commissioner, he oversaw the state police, homeland security, the state crime lab, and other divisions.
“I truly appreciate the opportunity to serve the people of Connecticut, as well as all of the many dedicated professionals who work across each division of DESPP,” Rovella said. “I am immensely proud of our team and respect their passionate work and loyalty to ensure the safety and protection of the people of our state. Connecticut’s public safety and emergency response services and those who provide them are among the best, and I am thankful to have had this opportunity to serve as commissioner overseeing these operations.”
Rovella plans to retire from state service effective next month.
“After 42 years, though, it grates on you,” he said Wednesday.
Mellekas was the department’s deputy commissioner and uniformed commander of the state police. He joined the state police as a trooper in 1994 and worked his way up to become commanding officer in 2019. He previously worked as a police officer at the U.S. Capitol. Higgins will identify a successor to serve in this role.
Higgins currently serves as the associate vice president of public safety and community engagement at Yale University. Prior to this position, he served as Yale's chief of police. He joined Yale's police department as an officer in 1997.
“I am truly honored at the opportunity to serve as the next commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for the State of Connecticut,” Higgins said. “I am looking forward to applying my experiences, as well as listening, learning, and leading this important, six-division agency.”
Relations between the state police and the Connecticut State Police Union – which represents the majority of the troopers – have been tumultuous under Rovella’s leadership. While there was marked improvement last year with the ratification of a contract that made the state police the best-paid officers in Connecticut, a recent ticketing scandal has further frayed the relationship.
Earlier this year, Rovella received a historic vote of no confidence from his captains and lieutenants. This followed a similar vote by the Connecticut State Police Union against Rovella and Mellekas.
At the time, the union said Rovella “fostered an environment of mistrust,” and that he and Mellekas have “failed to protect their troopers and made decisions based on self-preservation."
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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