With the promotion of James Lovelace to Deputy Chief, North Branford's Police Commission has reinstituted a leadership role in the department that was eliminated, under another commission, in 2011 as a controversial budget cost-saving measure.

News of Lovelace's promotion was shared with the Town Council at its regular meeting on July 9 and formally issued as a media release from the police commission and North Branford Chief of Police Kevin Halloran on July 10.

"In his many positions within this department he has proven to be a strong leader and has risen to the challenges that were put in front of him. We wish Deputy Chief Lovelace the best of luck in his new role," the release stated, in part, on behalf of the commission, Halloran and the department.

Lovelace is a North Branford resident and North Branford High School alumnus who joined NBPD in 2004. Most recently, he served as acting chief of police from July 2018 – March 2019, during the commission's search for a new police chief. The commission hired Halloran upon his retirement as Branford Chief of Police in March 2019, to fill a post left by the retirement of former NBPD Chief Matthew Canelli in June, 2018.

As a member of NBPD, Lovelace rose from the rank of officer to sergeant and was promoted to lieutenant in 2016. As lieuteneant, he served as the patrol commander and in many other administrative responsibilities, among them managing the dispatch center and implementing the department's dispatch center upgrade; as well as maintaining the qualifications for school security personnel and coordinating all special events.

The media release noted Lovelace is currently an assistant team leader of the South Central Regional Traffic Unit and a former member of the South Central Regional Tactical Team, and has received many awards for his service in law enforcement. Lovelace earned his undergraduate degree at Sacred Heart University (Fairfield) and is currently attending the Police Executive Research's Senior Management Institute for Police, one of the most advanced police executive leadership / management training programs in the U.S., according to the release.