Police Board Honors Ottomano, Egan

Weston Today photos

The Weston Board of Police Commissioners said goodbye to two long-serving members on November 5: 30-year member Peter Ottomano and Dawn Egan, a member for the past ten years.

Mr. Ottomano declined to seek an eighth term in this year’s election, and Ms. Egan will move to Texas early next year. Both received plaques commemorating their service on the commission.

Interim chair David Muller, a Democrat who has served on five Weston boards, said Mr. Ottomano, a Republican, has been an “incredibly welcoming, friendly, open, trusting, and thoughtful member of the commission, the most valuable partner from the other party I’ve ever had.”

Of Ms. Egan, Mr. Muller said, “no one in the entire town is as Weston as Dawn.” Citing her roles in a long list of civic organizations, town affairs and the schools, he said Ms. Egan “has done just about everything there is to do in Weston,” and is “leaving the town in a good place.”

Mr. Ottomano recalled facing his “most difficult issue” more than 20 years ago, when he chaired the commission and it “became evident that a regime change was necessary” in the police department and a two-year “bruising battle” ensued. In what he said is “a lesson for today’s vicious partisan politics, two Republicans stood with two Democrats to do the right thing.”

Mr. Ottomano said he is most proud of having participated in hiring every current member of the Weston police force, “a great department.” Under Chief Ed Henion, he said, “we have the best trained, best equipped, most professional and courteous police department in my 30 years of service.”

Ms. Egan said when she joined the police commission a decade ago she was “as green as can be” about policing and was not entirely welcome by the force and its leadership. She said she is proud of having helped change the culture of the department since then.

Ms. Egan said she is grateful to have served on the board and “work with my partners and political counterparts.” She said she is “honored to have been part of this commission. I don’t regret a minute of it.”