Meet Stephen Riebling
Your Candidate for Ridgefield Board of Police Commissioners
How has your professional and personal background prepared you for this role?
Professionally, I’ve been a practicing attorney in New York and Connecticut for 28 years. The bulk of my practice deals with family law and criminal law. I have a lot of interaction with police in various cases so I’m very familiar with how the police operate, and why it’s important to have good law enforcement.
From a personal perspective, I have four kids that are raised here in Ridgefield. After the last election, I asked myself, “What could you do to make a difference other than just voting, or posting stuff online, or commiserating with your family?” My answer was, run for office, and that’s what I decided to do.
What do you think the Board’s greatest strengths are and how will you build on them?
Under Democratic leadership, Ridgefield has been named one of the safest cities in the country for the past 3 years. The Board has worked really well with the chief of police and has made sure that the needs and the concerns of the police department are met. At the same time, part of the role of the Police Commission is hearing issues that are brought by Ridgefield’s residents. I think that board has done that as well. I’m particularly interested in strengthening engagement with residents, and managing resources responsibly.
What are your top priorities for Ridgefield when you are elected?
One of my major goals is the modernization of our police department. Not just through technology, equipment, facilities and resources but through training. For instance, domestic violence or mental health issues. I want to make sure our police force is sensitive to those issues and can bring the temperature down in a difficult situation.
How will you balance growth and progress while preserving Ridgefield’s character?
We can’t protect our community without equipping a modern police force. If you’re working with 1800s technology or in an 1800s facility, and there’s no room, we can’t do it well enough. And given all the challenges our police face today, which I know from my law practice, this needs to be addressed now.
We have modern homes, modern buildings and modern facilities throughout the town, and the growth and progress of the police department should go hand in hand with that. It makes Ridgefield better.
What are the Key Issues the Board faces?
It’s very disheartening to see our police force, charged with protecting our property, our residents, our schools, with flooded facilities and leaky plumbing, moldy ceilings, multiple officers sharing one small office. That’s why the new facility is so important.
What is your Leadership Style?
I think that I am very direct. I’ve been a partner of two law firms and in every case that I handle, I’m the lead attorney. I think that leading, doing what you say you’re going to do, is important. Being honest with your constituents or the people you’re leading, and then also following through is critical.
What does Ridgefield mean to you personally?
I’ve been a resident of Ridgefield for 21 years. I’ve raised all four of my children here. My mother-in-law is Nancy O’Connell. She owns Nancy Os, the wonderful yarn store in town. We have a strong connection to Ridgefield. We have no plans to leave. I am committed to making sure that the town remains safe and moving in the right direction.
What is one thing voters might be surprised to learn about you?
I’ve never run for office before. In my line of work, I do a lot of talking, and I do a lot of persuasion on behalf of my clients. But this is different. It’s very personal to me to work for the residents of Ridgefield.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
I think that being a new candidate for Police Commission is a good thing. It’s important to have a new perspective on issues, and my background in criminal defense law is a missing skill set on the Commission right now. I am also very proud to make a difference in my own town; for my family, my neighbors, my friends and my community.
Why should Ridgefield trust you?
In addition to supervising the Ridgefield Police Department, I believe my job is to be accountable and responsive to the people that I’m serving. I promise to do just that.