Assistant Chief David Zannelli first began his policing career with the Middletown, RI Police Department in 2006 and transferred to the New Haven Police Department in 2008. He has been a dedicated and loyal law enforcement professional throughout his tenure in policing. His ongoing efforts to collaborate with community partners and other law enforcement agencies have proven to be successful at reducing violent crime and improving public confidence and legitimacy in policing. As a patrol officer, he was featured as “Cop of the Week” in the New Haven Independent newspaper. He then served in the NHPD’s Street Interdiction Unit (SIU) which focused on narcotic and quality of life enforcement throughout the City of New Haven. As a federal task force officer assigned to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (A TF), he investigated and arrested criminal firearm traffickers in the city. He also served as a team leader in a Title Three federal wiretap investigation called “Operation Bloodline” which resulted in over 105 federal indictments into one of New Haven’s most violent groups. ChiefZannelli was able to help close several unsolved homicide cases by using evidence seized from the federal investigation in combination with his own personal knowledge of the New Haven community.
As a supervisor in the NHPD’s Detective Bureau, Chief Zannelli oversaw homicide, and sexual assault investigations involving minors. He and his team were able to help bring closure to several grieving and traumatized families and provide victims and their loved ones with a multitude of support services. While serving as the District Manager of the Fair Haven neighborhood, Chief Zannelli earned a reputation for collaboration and the community-based crime strategies he implemented which resulted in a decrease of violent crime in the area. He received several awards from the Fair Haven community for his leadership and dedication and was publicly honored for preventing a suicidal person from jumping off the Ferry Street bridge. Chief Zannelli’s leadership style and strong community bonds were also highlighted when he and his officers were asked to star in a local New Haven documentary film titled “Shift Change.”
Chief Zannelli’s commitment to police legitimacy and procedural justice were also exemplified when he served as the Officer in Charge of the Professional Standards and Training Division. He and his team were able to successfully increase the diversity of New Haven police recruit classes and work effectively with the newly recreated civilian review board to increase public transparency. Over time, Chief Zannelli supervised hundreds of police misconduct investigations in the Internal Affairs Unit, one of which resulted in the first police officer decertification in the State of CT under the 2020 police accountability act. In addition, he wrote the NHPD’s updated use of force policy which emphasizes the use of de-escalation techniques. He is also responsible for implementing several advanced de-escalation style training programs department wide, including “KINGIAN” non-violence training and ICAT, as well as sensitivity and tolerance training which includes a tour of the African American history museum in Stratford, CT. Furthermore, Chief Zannelli developed and hosted a new Police Clergy academy to increase bonds of trust and understanding between the NHPD and local community faith leaders.
He was promoted to Assistant Chief of Police on July, 2022 and currently oversees the Patrol Operations and Training Divisions. Although the Patrol Division is currently understaffed, there have been several noteworthy trends occurring under his leadership. These include a decrease in civilian complaints against officers and uses of force while proactive work has simultaneously increased in terms of illegal firearm arrests and motor vehicle stops. Lastly, Assistant Chief Zannelli has been nominated to receive the 2023 Presidential Lifetime Achievement award.