WESTPORT — Foti Koskinas, the town’s police chief over the last nine years and officer for nearly three decades, will step down from the post at the end of June.

Koskinas will depart before the end of his current contract, which was extended last year, under which he was to serve until this Nov. 1. 

However he will reportedly not leave the policing field after retiring from the Westport job June 30. According to a report in the “06880” blog, he will become the police chief in nearby Easton.

Koskinas’s decision to leave his job was announced in a statement issued Monday night by First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker, who has the authority to appoint his successor.

Tooker: Next chief will come from Westport ranks

Tooker said the new chief will be appointed “from within the highly experienced ranks” of the town’s Police Department. Senior administrators in those ranks include two deputy chiefs, David Farrell and Ryan Paulsson, and a captain, David Wolf.

Koskinas, widely respected during his tenure as police chief since March 2016, is a Staples High School graduate who grew up in town.

He joined the police force in January 1996 and has been a familiar figure around town despite demands of his job, regularly attending community events and public meetings outside his immediate responsibilities.

“Insight into community policing that is unsurpassed”

Tooker in her statement described Koskinas as an “amazing human” who “has stood at the forefront of a myriad of changes in law enforcement, community tragedies and issues, civil unrest and increased public engagement. 

“He has met these challenges with true leadership, the highest integrity and an insight into community policing that is unsurpassed,” she added. His “approach has always been pragmatic, honest and prioritizes communication and collaboration.”

After he was hired in 1996, Koskinas was promoted to sergeant in 2006 and captain in 2009. From 2009-11, he was the Patrol Division and Detective Bureau commander and was promoted to deputy chief in 2011. 

As deputy chief, Koskinas supervised the operations and support captains and was responsible for patrol, crime investigation and emergency medical operations. 

In 2016, he was promoted to chief by then-First Selectman Jim Marpe.

Over the course of his Westport police career, Koskinas has served as a K-9-unit handler and supervisor, a member of the department’s honor guard, member of the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team, the police/fire dive yeam and roles with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 

In 2009, the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association awarded Koskinas its Medal of Valor for heroism in rescuing a kidnapping victim from an armed murder suspect on Interstate 95. 

He also is the recipient of the department’s Medal of Valor, four commendations, six Honorable Police Service Awards, two Life Saving Awards, four Unit Citations and an Investigator’s Ribbon.