Fellow Batman fans will recall Police Commissioner Gordon, whose job mostly seemed to consist of sending out the Bat-Signal to summon Batman to battle evil-doers in Gotham City.
Sadly, that’s not the function of the five-member Ridgefield Board of Police Commissioners. But their responsibilities are equally important. The law confers authority on the Police Commission in three broad categories:
- Firstly, the commissioners control and manage the apparatus, equipment and buildings owned and used by the Town for police purposes and approve purchases of equipment needed by the department.
- The commissioners also make personnel decisions with the power to appoint, promote or remove an officer from the police department.
- The commissioners also are Ridgefield’s Traffic Authority with responsibility for the placement of traffic signals, signs, crosswalks, and speed limits on town roads. Several of our most-traveled routes through town are state roads (Route 7, Route 35, Route 102, etc.), with responsibility for them residing with the state Department of Transportation (DOT). Any changes the Town wants to make to those roads requires coordination with and approval by the DOT.
Along with incumbent Commissioner Ralph Money, I am a Democratic candidate for the Board of Police Commissioners. Professionally, I have practiced law since 1983. My office is in Danbury. Much of my practice focuses on representing children, and I am frequently appointed by the Court to serve as Guardian ad litem for child victims in criminal proceedings. In 1991, I was appointed as the Assistant Corporation Counsel for Conflicts for the City of Danbury, and I have been involved in a broad variety of municipal law issues in that role. I am also an Adjunct Professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law.
My husband and I have been lucky enough to live in Ridgefield for 40 years. Both of our children attended Ridgefield schools through graduation. Over the years, I have been and remain involved in numerous local organizations because I believe that a healthy community requires active participation by its residents. I have been honored to serve the Town as Parking Violation Appeals Hearing Officer (1988-present), Town Meeting Moderator (2001-present), as a member of the Juvenile Review Board (2019-present), Elderly Tax Benefits Committee (1999-2000, 2002), Alcohol and Drug Use Commission (1992-1995), and as chair of the Educational Quality and Diversity Committee (1994).
My training and experience have provided myself with the knowledge and skills to analyze all sides of the legal and other issues which come before the Police Commission and to ask questions that might otherwise be overlooked. I would be honored to have your vote and hope that you will elect myself, Ralph Money, and the other Democratic candidates for the town’s boards and commissions by voting Line A on Nov. 2.
Sharon W. Dornfeld is a candidate for the Ridgefield Board of Police Commissioners. The Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee provides this column.