Mayor Mike Walsh to Appoint Assistant Chief Mack S. Hawkins as Interim Police Chief

East Hartford, CT — Mayor Mike Walsh will appoint Assistant Chief of Police Mack S. Hawkins as Interim Police Chief effective Friday, October 20, 2023 at 4:30 PM.

The news comes following Chief Sansom’s decision to accept an offer to become a Police Chief for the Town of Granby, Connecticut, effective Monday, October 23, 2023.

“It is with mixed emotions that I accepted the news from Chief Sansom, but there is no better candidate to fill his role other than Assistant Chief Hawkins,” said Mayor Mike Walsh. “Having been with the East Hartford Police Department for over a decade, Assistant Chief Hawkins has the knowledge and expertise to oversee the department and continue its success. I thank him for taking on the role of Interim Police Chief and continuing to move our Police Department forward.”

Born and raised in East Hartford, Assistant Chief Hawkins attended the East Hartford school system and Howell Cheney Technical High School where he studied Automotive, and Manchester Community College where he studied Business Administration. In 1991 he joined the Hartford Police Department as a Police Cadet. He began his career as a patrol officer and worked his way through the ranks to become a community service officer and a detective in the Juvenile Division and Intelligence Division. He was Adjunct Instructor for the department in Juvenile Law & Investigations, and maintained a comprehensive knowledge-base of juvenile laws and their application to sensitive investigations. As a Sergeant, he worked in the Patrol Division, North Community Response Division and the Detective Bureau (Intelligence Division) as well as supervised the Cadet Program and the Disorder Control Team. As a Sergeant in the Intelligence Division he supervised all dignitary details, and oversaw Narcotics & Firearms investigations and Public Corruption cases. 

He continued to work his way through the ranks to Lieutenant, and commanded the Major Crimes Division until his career bloomed further as he became the Executive Commander for the Police Chief, overseeing Patrol Operations, Support Services and the Detective Division. He worked for the Hartford Police Department for over 20 years prior to joining the East Hartford Police Department in 2012.  

For the last decade, Assistant Chief Hawkins served as Chief Sansom’s right hand, directing operations for over 160 sworn and civilian personnel, while managing the delivery of excellent police service. He oversaw Patrol Operations, the Criminal Investigations Bureau, the Professional Standards Bureau as well as the Support Services Bureau.

Chief Sansom has served the East Hartford Police Department since January of 2014, bringing the East Hartford Police Department to an unprecedented level of professional recognition, including National Accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (C.A.L.E.A.) accreditation.

“Chief Sansom has served the town capably for a decade,” said Mayor Mike. “He was instrumental in the Police Department achieving the CALEA accreditation, implementing an embedded social worker in the police department along with a host of other departmental improvements that make the East Hartford Police Department second to none in the State of Connecticut. For this, he has our appreciation and gratitude.”

Following the November election, the newly-elected Mayor will appoint a permanent chief.