Bridgeport Rehires Retired Lieutenant as Consultant
The city is paying former police Lt. John Cueto $75,000 a year as a part-time financial consultant amid management losses in the department.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in People
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Bridgeport has hired retired police Lt. John Cueto as a part-time financial consultant at $75,000 annually, with a contract running at least through June 30, 2026. Cueto previously served as assistant chief for four months in late 2024 before leaving over a conflict between his municipal pension and a full-time salary.
Why it matters
The city is rehiring Cueto to provide fiscal oversight of budgeting, grants, and overtime, partly in response to recent leadership departures in the police department. The move comes as the department has seen several senior command changes in recent months.
Cueto is being paid $75,000 a year for no more than 20 hours of work per week under a contract that runs at least through June 30, 2026. The contract is still being finalized by the city's chief administrative officer, and the source does not specify the full scope of his responsibilities.
The players
John Cueto
A retired Bridgeport police lieutenant who spent 27 years with the department and later served as police chief in Duck, N.C.
Lonnie Blackwell
A Bridgeport police captain who filed a federal lawsuit alleging racially unfair passover for the assistant chief position.
The details
Cueto is being hired as a private, part-time consultant rather than a department employee. He retired from the Bridgeport Police Department after 27 years about a decade ago and later served as police chief in Duck, N.C. A related federal lawsuit filed by Bridgeport Capt. Lonnie Blackwell alleges racially unfair passover for the assistant chief position.
Timeline
Late 2024: Cueto returns to the department as assistant chief for four months.
December 2024: Cueto leaves the assistant chief role over a pension conflict.
February 2025: Capozzi and Paul Grech replace Cueto as assistant chiefs.
December 2025: Grech leaves the department to address health concerns.
March 2026: Deputy chief James Baraja retires while on paid administrative leave.
Market Landscape
Bridgeport's police department has seen a documented sequence of command changes since late 2024, including the December 2024 departure of Cueto and the February 2025 replacements of assistant chiefs. Rehiring Cueto as a consultant extends that pattern by bringing back a former leader to address fiscal oversight during ongoing turnover.
For Bridgeport residents, the contract means city funds are being spent on a $75,000 consultant tasked with budgeting, grants, and overtime oversight. The federal lawsuit over assistant chief passover remains a separate legal matter that could affect department leadership decisions.
The takeaway
Municipal rehiring of former officials can address short-term financial oversight gaps, but recurring leadership turnover in a department often signals deeper staffing questions that residents can track through city budget and personnel records.
Further reading
For more on personnel moves at the local level, see People coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CTPost.
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