Former state police major Reuben Bradford has been nominated to oversee the state police as the first African American to become the state's commissioner of public safety.
Bradford will not join the department until after the Super Bowl because he has obligations in his current job as the senior director of security for the National Football League. At the age of 64, Bradford said he had been expecting to retire soon - but he changed his plans when he received the offer from Malloy.
Bradford said he would take a "significant pay cut'' to return to state service, but he said that his current salary with the NFL is not public information.
The current public safety commissioner, James "Skip'' Thomas, will remain in the office until Bradford takes over in February.
While Bradford is the first African American to be nominated as commissioner, an African American had previously served in the number 2 position of commander of the state police. Lt. Col. Joseph A. Perry had served as the commander under Commissioner Nicholas Cioffi in the early 1990s under then-Governor Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
Bradford, who lives in South Glastonbury with his wife, has been away from the department for about 15 years, but is now coming back to the agency where he got his start in law enforcement.
"It's not often that you get a chance to come full circle,'' Bradford said during a news conference.
Governor-elect Dan Malloy said that Bradford was "recognized for his talent as a major'' before his retirement from the state police.
"Reuben is an exceptional individual,'' Malloy said. "He has a great understanding of the needs of the department. He has been an insider and an outsider and is prepared to be an extraordinary commissioner for this department.''
Regarding the Super Bowl, Malloy said, "He'll be there. I won't.''