The Award
The Chairman’s Award is presented to a member of the national body or an organization in recognition of the recipient’s patience, perseverance and desire for the improvement of the national body, and for their awareness of and attention to issues and concerns that impact the quality of service to both its community and membership.
The Honoree
Patrick Ridenhour serves as Chief of Police in the City of Danbury, the seventh largest municipality in Connecticut. He began his policing career in 1988 with the Waterbury, CT Police Department, the city where he was born and raised. He initially served in the patrol division and crime apprehension and prevention unit. He was promoted to Sergeant in February 1997 and Lieutenant in March 2000. In May 2004 he became the first African-American in the Waterbury Police Department to ascend to the rank of Captain. In 2005 he began serving as the Acting Chief Inspector before becoming the first African-American promoted to Assistant Deputy Chief in January 2007, serving as the commander of all of the department’s uniformed services. He retired in 2008 and began working in the Waterbury Public School system for the 2008-2009 school year.He returned to policing in June 2009, after his selection as the new Deputy Police Chief for the Town of Stratford, CT, the first African-American to hold the position. While serving in this position, he oversaw the daily operations of the entire department, including patrol, investigations, professional standards, and administration. In April 2011 he began serving as the interim Chief, and in March 2013 he was installed as the first African-American Police Chief in the town’s history. During his tenure he increased community outreach, re-established the Police Activities League (PAL), increased professional development opportunities for personnel, and stabilized labor relations in addition to reducing overall crime by more than 35 percent. He also served as a mentor in the Stratford Public Schools.
In July 2016 he became the first African-American Chief of the Danbury Police Department. He continues to focus on building and maintaining positive police-community relations through a variety of outreach initiatives, personnel development, technology advancements, and other crime reduction strategies. Danbury is consistently one of the safest cities of its size in the region. It is also considered the most culturally, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse city in Connecticut. Recruitment and retention efforts during his tenure have made the makeup of the department much more reflective of the diverse community.
Chief Ridenhour holds a Certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia, a Bachelor’s Degree from Charter Oak State College in New Britain, CT, and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management and Leadership from Springfield College in Springfield, MA. A graduate of the 212th Session of the FBI National Academy and the 74th Session of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar, both in Quantico, VA, he is a charter member of the CT Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), where he has served on the Executive Board since the chapter was established in 2010. A past president of the CT Police Chiefs Association, the first African-American to hold the position, he has served on several local and national committees focused on contemporary issues in policing. Serving as a member or Board member of several community-based organizations, including the Danbury Lions Club, the Community Action Agency of Western CT, and the Danbury Police Activities League (PAL), he has been recognized for his volunteer work as well as his accomplishments by numerous professional and civic organizations statewide. Chief Ridenhour resides in Danbury with his wife, Kelly. Together they have five adult children and three grandchildren.