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Stephen Tavares sworn in as Eastern's police chief

Former Bristol deputy chief returns to alma mater

by Michael Rouleau

Willimantic, CT (08/31/2021) — Stephen Tavares '96 was sworn in as Eastern Connecticut State University's chief of police and director of public safety on Aug. 27. The swearing-in ceremony took place on campus and included representatives from police departments across the state; former police chief Jeffrey Garewski; members of Tavares' family; and Eastern officials.

Tavares is a 1996 Eastern graduate whose return to campus follows a distinguished 26-year career with the Bristol Police Department, where he started as a patrol officer in 1995. Over the length of his career in Bristol, Tavares moved on to such roles as detective, patrol sergeant, lieutenant and deputy chief. He also held specialized positions including narcotics officer, K-9 officer, crisis negotiator and domestic violence liaison.

"I am most excited about being a part of a community that means so much to me," said Tavares. "I attended Eastern and was a residence assistant on campus Now many years later, I am blessed to come back in the role of chief of police."

Tavares mentioned that safety is a campus-wide effort, involving staff and students from offices and entities across the university. "My intention for the Eastern Police Department is to continue to strengthen our relationships within the campus community as well as the Willimantic community," he said. "Campus Police will collaborate with student organizations and clubs and continue to be a resource to all members of our community. As an agency we will constantly examine ourselves, meaning reviewing our policies and procedures to provide the best level of service."

"Nothing is more important to me than the safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors," said Eastern President Elsa Nunez, in introducing Tavares. "We have many tools and resources at Eastern to ensure that our campus is safe - none more important than the brave and trusted members of our campus police department. Finding the right person to lead the department going forward is critical to the success of our campus police force, and I am very pleased that we now entrust Stephen Tavares with this important leadership role."

Vice President for Finance and Administration James Howarth added that Tavares "understands the importance of supporting students and other members of our campus community through the development of programs that promote health and safety, as well as prevention programs in related areas."

Nunez said that that as an alumnus, Tavares understands the culture and values of Eastern's campus community. "In Chief Tavares we have a veteran officer and administrator and a highly respected member of his profession. I am delighted he is returning to Eastern in this vital position."

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 4,600 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 161 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 31 other states and 17 countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked as the #1 public regional university in New England by U.S. News and World Report in its 2021 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 11 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

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Stephen K. Tavares at his swearing in ceremony on the Eastern campus.

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