Harry W. Rilling (born August 6, 1947) is an American politician who currently serves as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Norwalk, Connecticut. He had previously served as Norwalk's

police chief The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...

for 17 years before retiring. He is a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, and was elected in 2013. Rilling defeated incumbent mayor Richard A. Moccia.

Early life and education

Rilling was born in Norwalk, Connecticut on August 6, 1947 to Harry S. and Mary L. Rilling. He spent his early childhood partially in

New Canaan New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. About an hour from Manhattan by train, the town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounde ...

, but was primarily raised in Norwalk. His father was a greenhouse worker while his mother was a homemaker. He has an elder brother and sister. Rilling graduated from Norwalk High School in 1965. He has a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

in criminal justice, summa cum laude, from

Iona College Iona University is a private Roman Catholic university with a main campus in New Rochelle, New York. It was founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and occupies a campus of in New Rochelle and a campus of in Bronxville, ...

, and a Master in Public Administration from the University of New Haven. He is a graduate of the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

Executive Development Course.

Career

He enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

in 1967, and was honorably discharged in 1971 with the rank of E-5. He joined the Norwalk Police Department in 1971 and rose to the rank of Chief in 1995, a position he held until his retirement in 2012. He served on the Norwalk Zoning Commission from 2012 until his election as Mayor in 2013. From 1996 to 2004, Rilling was an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at

Norwalk Community College Norwalk Community College (NCC), formerly Norwalk State Technical College and Norwalk Community-Technical College, is a public community college in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is the third-largest of the twelve colleges in the Connecticut State Col ...

. Rilling was an on-site assessor and team leader with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA); he is a past Chairman of the Mid-Fairfield Substance Abuse Coalition (MFSAC); past President of both the Fairfield County Chiefs of Police Association (FCCP) and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association (CPCA); he is a Life member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP); and he is a board member of the National Committee on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (a committee of the

Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic en ...

). Rilling served as Norwalk's Police Union President in 1976.

Personal life

Rilling was married three times. He first married Cheryl A. Cocco on January 4, 1969 with whom he had three children, and divorced in 1993. On October 30, 2001 he married Wanda J. Crespo. Rilling married his third wife Lucia C. Medower (b. 1963) in November 2013. He has three children his first marriage. His daughter, Christine Limone ( née Rilling), a former day care operator, has been charged in the death of a toddler in her care in 2020. She has recently been offered a plea deal by state prosecutors. His son, Stephen Rilling, a former Fairfield Police detective has been arrested and charged in a narcotics arrest.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rilling, Harry American municipal police chiefs American people of German descent Connecticut Democrats Iona University alumni Living people Mayors of Norwalk, Connecticut University of New Haven alumni Norwalk High School (Connecticut) alumni 1947 births