Nadine Amatruda Becomes Waterbury's First Woman Deputy Chief

The Waterbury Police Department achieved a historic first with the promotion of Deputy Chief Nadine Amatruda, who has become the first woman to hold the department's deputy chief position. In recognition of this accomplishment, Nadine was sworn into office at the Waterbury City Hall.

Over 20 years of faithful service to the department, Nadine has distinguished herself by raising through the ranks from a police officer to occupy various important leadership positions within the department, among them the position of working in the Community Relations Division.

The fact that she was chosen to be part of the renowned FBI National Academy two years ago only goes on to show that her leadership qualities are well recognized. In her promotion acceptance speech, Nadine said that it is the realization of her dream and a source of inspiration to women who aspire to become leaders in their future careers.

Key Highlights:

• Nadine Amatruda becomes Waterbury Police's first woman Deputy Chief
• Her promotion crowns 20+ years of service and FBI National Academy training
• The appointment inspires more women to pursue leadership in law enforcement

"A lot of ‘wows’ and I’m super excited for this opportunity. I can’t wait to start." "When I heard I was going to get this promotion, I didn’t think I was making history, so that’s just something that’s kind of been marinating a little bit," Nadine said.

"I feel honored and privileged to have been selected for the hard work and dedication and time I have given to the city," she added.

Nadine’s elevation to becoming the Deputy Chief makes her one of the few female officers who have reached high-level positions in the state of Connecticut's police forces. Although there is still a lack of women at the top levels of police departments, this appointment is certainly an encouraging sign that more diversity is on its way.

According to the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, there are only a handful of females who are serving as chiefs of police within Connecticut, with further women deputy chiefs assisting their male colleagues in the departments of Hartford, New Haven, and Wolcott among others. Fernando Spagnolo, the chief of police for Waterbury, describes this appointment as the defining moment for the department due to the importance it places on leadership ability and professionalism.

Fernando also pointed out that the department has succeeded in improving its level of gender diversity as the number of women in the police department has increased to about 15%. He cleared having more females in the ranks of the organization will contribute towards diversity of thoughts and a diverse workforce.

Looking back at her appointment, Nadine revealed that her initial reaction had been to think of the appointment in professional terms, not as something groundbreaking. Nadine hopes that her historical appointment will motivate other young women and girls to join the ranks of police officers.

She is of the opinion that increased exposure of women in high profile positions is likely to contribute towards changing people’s traditional mindset, motivate other professionals to embrace leadership roles confidently, and prove that commitment and hard work  can pave the way for advancement in law enforcement.