Danbury commission removes two police applicants after appeal and polygraph concerns

The Danbury Civil Service Commission voted unanimously July 29 to accept the police chief’s request to remove several candidates from the entry-level police officer eligibility list promulgated April 29, 2026, after considering appeals from two applicants.

Chair Susan Ward read a July 27 memo from Chief Examiner Neli Espinal summarizing Police Chief Patrick Rittenhauer’s recommendation that certain candidates be removed. The commission called the three candidates who were present for in-person consideration and handled each appeal separately.

Applicant Kasam Durham spoke in public and disputed aspects of the New Britain polygraph report cited by the chief, saying his test performance was affected by personal stress and the interview atmosphere. "I did have personal stressors and personal endeavors going on that caused the reactions during the test," Durham said, and added he had a letter from Bristol Police that did not state a reason for removal. Chief Rittenhauer responded that Durham failed the polygraph and advised waiting until the results and related background information were not so recent before reapplying. Commissioner Fallon and Chair Ward urged Durham to be clear in answering questions about crimes and related activity.

After discussion, Commissioner Fallon moved to accept Chief Rittenhauer’s request to remove Durham (candidate ending in 994174); Ward seconded and the motion carried unanimously. The commission then heard Jordan Meyer’s appeal in executive session and subsequently voted to remove the candidate whose number ends in 0037, also by unanimous vote.

The actions recorded are procedural removals from the eligibility list; no new policy changes or disciplinary sanctions were announced. The commission noted applicants are free to reapply following the usual procedures and timelines.