By Anjali Kishore
This past Monday, family, fellow police officers, and town officials including Fire Chief McHugh, First Selectman Fred Camillo, and Selectwoman Jill Oberlander attended the Greenwich Police Department’s first in-person promotion ceremony since the pandemic, promoting four exemplary officers.
The kids in attendance Monday were captivated by the flashing police motorcycle in the corner (and there were many kids, all four men being fathers), but once Chief of Police Jim Heavey had refocused the crowd, the friends and family of Greenwich Police settled in for the main event: the promotion of officers Kraig Gray, Eric Scorca, Ted Latiak, and Kyle O’Neill. The proceedings kicked off with a full honor guard and flag ceremony, a convocation from police chaplain Rev. Thomas Nins, and speeches from both Chief Heavey and First Selectman Fred Camillo. Heavey recognized the families of the promotees as well as Deputy Chief Mark Marino, who recently retired after 38 years of service with distinction to the force, a position that would be filled later in the ceremony by now-Deputy Chief Kraig Gray.
Between them, the four men have 77 years of service with the Town of Greenwich, and Deputy Chief Gray — as well as Lieutenant Ted Latiak — are both Army veterans, exemplifying the spirit of service that is integral to Greenwich Police as an organization. When asked about the relationship between the community, Captain Mark Zuccarello put it best: “We go above and beyond to serve [the community in] what we feel is the Greenwich way.”
Deputy Chief Kraig Gray has been doing things “the Greenwich way” for almost thirty years, joining Greenwich Police Department in 1992. A native of Larchmont, NY and graduate of UConn, Gray has made his mark on the force as a founding member of the GPD Armor Guard and commander of both the patrol division and detective division, as well as inhabiting numerous leadership roles in the past. A 22-year Army veteran, he served in the Philippines, Fort Dix, and Kuwait, among others, staying a member of the U.S. Army reserves through much of his time on the force. In attendance were wife Dawn, who partook in the badge pinning ceremony, and their three children. His new role consists mainly of administrative work, something that Gray considers “all important towards the ultimate success of the police department and providing superior service to the community.”
Captain Eric Scorca has been with Greenwich Police Department for almost two decades, joining in July of 2002. Raised in New Fairfield and a graduate from Western Connecticut State University, Scorca now trains and certifies police officers statewide in physical fitness. He has supervised the Narcotics and Organized Retail Theft Units, as well as the Patrol and Detective Divisions, throughout his career, and in 2017, Scorca earned the John Clarke award for his work in the Narcotics unit. In 2018, he put to use his hostage negotiation training to talk down an armed suicidal subject. Captain Scorca had his badge pinned on by his daughters, with his parents watching proudly from the audience.
Lieutenant Ted Latiak is a lifetime Greenwich resident, having attended Greenwich High School before attending the United States Military Academy West Point. Latiak had a fruitful career in the Army, serving in Afghanistan and ascending to the rank of military intelligence captain. In the process, he earned a Bronze Star and attended Airborne and Air Assault Schools. An Eagle Scout, Lieutenant Latiak continued to pursue his intellectual interests, earning two masters degrees from Columbia University after returning from Afghanistan in 2003. Since joining the force in 2008, Lieutenant Latiak has received Officer of the Month honors and multiple departmental commendations, as well as earning an MBA from UConn in 2015. Joyce Latiak and their two children, Violet and Tripp, took part in the badge pinning.
Sergeant Kyle O’Neill became a Greenwich police officer in 2007, after earning a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from University of Hartford. Throughout his career, O’Neill has received multiple awards and departmental honors, most notably the U.S. Attorney’s Case Award (2019) and the FBI Investigators award (2017). O’Neill was also featured in an episode of an AARP podcast, The Perfect Scam, to discuss his part in recovering $16,000 from scammers targeting senior citizens. O’Neill’s wife Heather was in attendance, as well as their three children, all of whom helped pin on his new badge and rank.
