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Mayor Mark Boughton, state Rep. Jan Giegler, City Council President Joseph Cavo and Probate Judge Dianne Yamin were among the public officials in attendance, along with members of the Waterbury and Stratford Police Departments, where Ridenhour previously worked.
"The phrase 'success' is never final, you should always strive to do your best, take on a new challenge and meet new people who are dedicated to public safety," Ridenhour said as he addressed the crowd. "This is what drew me to the City of Danbury."
Ridenhour said he looks forward to working with the mayor and his staff to ensure its police department is meeting its mission.
"We have to communicate with each other to be successful," he said. "We must continue to be proactive in the community, especially with our youth.
"My personal approach is very simple. What you see is what you get. It's to lead by example. I'd like to have your thoughts, ideas and concerns on how we move forward."
As part of the ceremony, Ridenhour's son, Devon, who is a police officer with the Waterbury Police Department, pinned the Police Badge on his father.
Ridenhour, a Waterbury resident and chief of the Stratford Police Department since 2012, has served Connecticut in law enforcement for over 27 years. He is replacing Police Chief Al Baker, who is retiring this summer after 11 years on the job.
During the ceremony, Boughton said hiring the new Police Chief was a very rigorous process. "There was a tremendous amount of candidates who applied to this position," he said. "During the three-day hiring process, Patrick exceeded every twist and turn, every benchmark we put in front of him."
After the ceremony, Cavo said that what was most impressive to him was "how many police chiefs and officers showed up to the event, from all parts of the state, even including Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary.
"It tells you a lot about people when their peers come out in numbers in support of them," Cavo added.
"Its a great night for the city of Danbury," Boughton said.
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