East Hartford Welcome New Officers

East Hartford, CT—The Town of East Hartford and the East Hartford Police Department welcomed five new police officers today at a ceremony held at the East Hartford Public Safety Complex.

Officers Assel Hassan, Amber Flagg, Christopher Casale, Kiana Walker, and Steven Garcia-Rijos were administered the Oath of Office by East Hartford Town Clerk Robert Pasek, overseen by Mayor Michael P. Walsh, East Hartford Police Chief Scott Sansom and members of his Command Staff. 

“East Hartford is proud to have one of the strongest police departments in the state and we are fortunate to be able to recruit capable, competent and diverse officers who will be a tremendous asset to our community,” said Mayor Michael P. Walsh.

“Our citizens deserve the very best in their police department, and that’s exactly what we’re continuing to strive for,” Chief Sansom said.  “We’re fortunate to find such great officers, and for them to select East Hartford says a lot about our agency and our community,” he explained. “We look forward to having them join our Patrol Division, and anticipate these new East Hartford officers enjoying long careers here.” 

All five officers previously served with other police departments.  Officer Assel Hassan, 31, was born in Iraq and speaks fluent Arabic.  He moved with his family to the United States as a teen, then later joined the Army National Guard and became a naturalized citizen.  He lives in the greater Hartford region, and has served the last two years as an Officer for The Department of Defense.   Officer Amber Flagg, 27, was raised and lives locally in the greater Hartford region.  She has served the last two years with the Hartford and Windsor Police Departments, and she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Southern Vermont College.  Officer Christopher Casale, 25, is a lifelong Connecticut resident and has served the last three years with the Hartford Police Department.  Prior to that he served with the Enfield Police Department for three years as an Auxiliary Police Officer.  Officer Kiana Walker, 33, has lived much of her life in the greater Hartford region and has served the last three years with the Hartford and Windsor Police Departments.  Prior to becoming a Police Officer, she served as an Emergency Dispatcher with Meriden Police Department.  She also holds an Associate Degree in Science from Manchester Community college.  Officer Steven Garcia-Rijos, 37, was born in Puerto Rico and has lived his adult life locally in the greater Hartford region.  He has served over two years with the Hartford Police Department.

All five officers will begin their transitional training immediately.