Community Corner

South Windsor Police Say Goodbye To 30-Year Veteran

He joined the department in 1996 and served as an investigator, division commander and longtime police union president.

Lt. Christopher Duchesne is retiring after 30 years with the South Windsor Police Department.
Lt. Christopher Duchesne is retiring after 30 years with the South Windsor Police Department. (South Windsor Police Department)

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — Lt. Christopher Duchesne is retiring after 30 years with the South Windsor Police Department, closing a career that included investigations, traffic enforcement and leadership of two department divisions.

Duchesne was hired Oct. 1, 1996, according to the department’s retirement announcement.

“Today marks the end of an era for the South Windsor Police Department,” the department wrote.

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Over three decades, Duchesne worked as a patrol officer, trained other officers and served as an investigator in both the Criminal Investigations Unit and Traffic Unit. He also served as a motorcycle officer.

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His supervisory assignments included overseeing the Traffic Unit, commanding the regional Metro Traffic Services unit and supervising a patrol shift.

Promoted to lieutenant in 2021, Duchesne served as Operations Division commander before transferring to lead the Support Services Division. He also represented fellow officers as the police union’s president for many years, the department said.

The department said Duchesne received multiple awards and recognitions throughout his career and praised his influence on colleagues.

“Lieutenant Duchesne has been an invaluable source of steady leadership and knowledge for the Department, and he has been a mentor and inspiration to many of our employees,” the announcement said.

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