After 28 years with the Clinton Police Department, Police Chief Todd Lawrie will retire to join the U.S. Marshals Service in New Haven.

First Selectman William Fritz said Lawrie has been instrumental in the development of the police force over the years.

“It has become more of a community police force,” he said. “Chief Lawrie has done a great job with public relations, getting out into the community and promoting the department as well as making the community feel that the department really cares about them.”

Police Commission Chairman Philip Sengle said the Board of Police Commissioners, while sad to see Lawrie retire, has begun its search for a new chief.

“It is a critical job to be filled, we can’t leave it vacant for long and we are moving as quickly as we can,” he said. “We have written a job ad which we expect to release in the next few days and that will begin our search. We are also looking at an outside agency to help us.”

During the search, the department will be led by Deputy Chief John Carbone. Sengle said that the Commission will look at both internal and external applicants for the job.

“We are going outside the department as the ad will be posted on a number of websites and be published in local newspapers,” he said. “But we also are inviting any internal applicants to apply and they will get a fair shot at it as anybody else would.”

As the search gets underway for a new chief, Sengle said he wishes Lawrie all the best in his future endeavors.

“I worked with Todd Lawrie for four years and I found him to be a very good man, a very honest man, and a very good chief and we are certainly going to miss him,” he said. “He put his heart and soul into the Clinton police force for 28 years, but we understand that sometimes when opportunity knocks, you have to open the door and take it.”

Lawrie could not be reached for comment.