Roundup

Town PD has 1st female captain

For newly promoted Capt. Pamela D. Gustovich, her ascent in the ranks of the Greenwich Police Department isn't about the end result. "The way that I like to look at it, it's about the journey," she said.

Gustovich, the first female captain in the history of the department, was promoted Tuesday evening at police headquarters, along with Capt. Mark A. Marino, who became deputy chief; Sgt. Robert J. Lombardo, who became lieutenant; and Detective Martin A. O'Reilly, who became sergeant.

When asked about the historical significance of the occasion, Gustovich said her gender is less important than the role she and her fellow officers serve in the community. "It's about the commitment and dedication," she said.

Hired by the department in 1987, Gustovich was promoted to lieutenant in 2003. A December 2011 graduate of the FBI National Academy program at Quantico, Va., she is vice president of the Connecticut Association of Women Police and former president of the Fairfield County Police Training Association. She has also received the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal, a meritorious ribbon and three ribbons of commendation for her service from the Sons of the American Revolution.

After being officially promoted by First Selectman and Police Commissioner Peter Tesei, Gustovich thanked family, friends and her colleagues. "The biggest thanks go to my parents," she said. "They gave me a very strong and broad foundation to build my life on." Gustovich also thanked former Chief of Police William Anderson, whom she described as her mentor.

Marino said after the ceremony that his promotion to deputy chief has "been a long time coming. It's certainly a great feeling," he said.

A 28-year veteran of the department and former military police officer, Marino has received numerous awards, including six letters of commendation for his service, two American Red Cross Life Saving awards, an FBI certificate of appreciation and the Greenwich Police Department Merit Award.

"When I started I didn't come in saying I wanted to be deputy chief one day," Marino said. "I worked hard and did my job."

Like the other members of the department who were promoted, Marino thanked friends, family and his fellow officers. "It's a fantastic police department," he said.

Gustovich will fill the head role in the patrol division, a position that became available after James Heavey, a former captain, was promoted to deputy chief in June and police chief in the fall. Capt. Timothy Berry will move from his current role as operations commander to head of the detective division.

Lombardo has been with the department since 1992, after serving nine years with the Wilton Police Department. He has received commendations for his role in investigations and for his emergency medical service.

O'Reilly joined Greenwich police in October 1994 and was promoted to the detective division in 2008. He has received the United States Attorney's Award, multiple letters of commendation, the Investigators Ribbon, three unit citations for his service, and the Mothers Against Drunk Driving award three separate years.

Tesei said the four members of the department have all "shown excellence and have been recognized for their excellence."

Heavey bestowed the four with their uniform caps, which police say are the most visible sign of an officer's role and authority. "The names change," Heavey said of the department's personnel, "but we continue to move on doing an outstanding job for the town of Greenwich."

-- Staff Writer

David Hennessey

Skakel seeks reduced sentence

Michael Skakel, a Kennedy cousin, appeared in state Superior Court in Middletown on Tuesday, pleading with a three-judge panel to reduce his 20-years-to-life prison sentence, while insisting on his innocence in the 1975 Greenwich killing of Martha Moxley.

Skakel's lawyer, Hubert Santos, argued that the sentence Skakel received after his 2002 murder conviction in the beating death of Moxley was excessive. Skakel lived near Moxley in the wealthy enclave of Belle Haven in Greenwich. Santos repeated his claim, which has been rejected by other state courts, that Skakel should have been tried in juvenile court, where the maximum sentence for murder would have been four years.

"Give me a polygraph," Skakel told the judges. "I've passed three sodium pentathol tests. I don't know what else to say."

Skakel, 51, a nephew of Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy, wore an orange prison jumpsuit as he spoke to the three judges, who are expected to issue a ruling in about two months. He was handcuffed and his legs were shackled.

Skakel's lawyers didn't ask for a specific sentence reduction. Members of both the Skakel and Moxley families were in the courtroom as Skakel said he prayed for Moxley's mother, Dorthy Moxley every day.

"I told Mrs. Moxley, if I killed Martha I would take responsibility for it," Skakel said. "I didn't commit this crime."

Dorothy Moxley and her son, John, both called Skakel's words "hollow," and said he got the prison sentence he deserved. "Michael belongs in jail for the rest of his life," John Moxley told the judges.

Speaking after the hearing, Dorothy and John Moxley said that they were upset that the case keeps returning to court, adding that they have to relive Martha's killing every time it does.

The state Supreme Court ruled in 2010 against Skakel's bid for a new trial, saying a claim implicating two other men in the killing wasn't credible. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case. Skakel currently has a habeas corpus appeal pending in state courts, alleging his trial attorney, Michael Sherman, did a bad job representing him.

"It's getting a little frustrating and getting a little old," Dorothy Moxley said. "I'm so convinced Michael did this. He made us suffer for ... 26½ years."

Martha Moxley was beaten to death with a golf club in her neighborhood when both she and Skakel were 15 years old. Skakel was arrested in 2000.

Prosecutor Susann Gill said if Skakel was arrested when he was a teenager, his case could have been transferred to adult court and he would have faced the same prison sentence he is now serving.

Gill told Judges Gary White, Joan Alexander and Brian Fischer that the judge who sentenced Skakel considered arguments similar to those made by Skakel's lawyers Tuesday when he imposed the punishment in 2002. She said the sentence Skakel received was appropriate.

"He should have come forward and taken responsibility for this crime in 1975," Gill said. Skakel also talked about his 13-year-old son during his speech, and how "being in prison, it's hard to be a father." John Moxley said Skakel was using his son as a "shield" in his arguments.

Skakel's brother, Stephen, said outside the courthouse that his family fully supports his brother and believes he is innocent. "We're still hopeful," Stephen Skakel said about his brother's appeals.

-- Staff and wire reports

Watchdog group grades Metro-North

Gaps in customer communication during service problems, delivery of the state's new rail cars and a need to expand parking are the top concerns for rail riders, according to an annual report released by the state's railroad watchdog group.

While Metro-North improved instant message communication efforts in 2011, whether the railroad is ready to provide better communication during major service problems remains untested, said Jim Cameron, chairman of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council.

"We put communications first because we think that is the single most important issue, which was illustrated last winter and summer when there were problems," Cameron said. "The real test will be when there is a serious problem."

Concerns in 2011 were magnified by service problems such as a reduced schedule after equipment shortages caused by last winter's heavy snows and a July heat wave, Cameron said.

Metro-North revamped its communication policies and response protocols after a public backlash stemming from a July 22 incident in Westport when a train carrying 200 passengers became stuck in temperatures that rose to about 100 degrees.

A railroad review found a lack of communication significantly aggravated overheated passengers on the train, and led to initiatives such as retraining conductors to better communicate with customers during outages.

"We have been working consistently to improve communications," Metro-North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said. "The railroad is also making progress on updating response procedures it established with first responders in municipalities from Stamford to New Haven."

The report said customer satisfaction also dipped after a series of software problems late in 2010 and a production error in early 2011 that halted production of the $1 billion fleet of new M-8 cars at a Lincoln, Neb., manufacturing plant.

--Staff Writer

Martin B. Cassidy

Anders said the M-8 manufacturer, Kawasaki, is rolling the cars off the assembly line at a rate of 12 cars per month, and 70 of the 425 cars have been put into service."On weekdays 20 percent of New Haven Line trains are M-8s and on Saturdays 32 percent." Anders said.

Cameron said while delivery of the cars appears to be running smoothly, the council will continue to monitor the construction and performance of the cars.

"Once more of the cars are in service we'll see an improvement in on-time reliability and the reliability of the railroad in bad weather should improve," Cameron said. "We've heard lots of good response on the new cars but it is just a matter of getting them in service."

The report also mentions positive news including the opening of the new "Fairfield Metro" station with 1,400 new parking spaces, and Stamford's receipt of a $10.5 million federal grant to make improvements to the city's rail station. Metro-North's decision to issue an official public Pledge to Customers, an idea championed by the council and state Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, will also give customers concrete standards by which to judge New Haven Line service, Cameron said.

"I believe this sort of pledge might be unprecedented," Cameron said of the nine-point pledge. "It's the first time Metro-North has written down somewhere what standards of service customers can expect and it's a major victory."

Metro-North and the Long Island railroads will distribute copies of the pledge on trains and at stations in the form of posters and fliers.

"Our customers deserve a pledge like this so that they can hold us to certain standards in service and satisfaction," Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker said Monday. "Good service is important, but customer communication is critical. Our job now will be to put this document into action and live up to the pledge."

As in previous reports, the council spotlighted the need for the DOT to redouble efforts to pursue parking expansion projects at new locations as well as state-owned lots along the New Haven Line.

An analysis of rail parking availability completed by the South Western Region Planning Agency in 2009, and updated this year, found the number of people seeking a parking permit at rail stations increased 16 percent between 2008 and 2010.

"It is a difficult issue because land values are so expensive in lower Fairfield County," said Timothy Beeble, a Bethel member of the council.

Another concern of commuters is the state's still unsettled plans to address the Stamford Transportation Center, which includes the need to replace a rundown 800-space parking structure that is structurally flawed, according to the report.

Two years ago, the Connecticut General Assembly passed legislation requiring the DOT to find interim replacement parking before starting a project that would take the garage out of commission.

"It's not clear how the state plans to address that parking structure but whatever they do will make a mess for a couple of years," Cameron said.

-- Staff Writer Martin B. Cassidy