WEATHERSFIELD — Township trustees surprised police Chief Mike Naples Jr. with special recognition Tuesday for his 40 years of service in law enforcement with 30 years spent with the Weathersfield Police Department.

Trustees presented a proclamation to Naples, who has been chief for 10 years and before that was a captain for 12 years. He oversees a staff of 13 police officers and a records clerk.

“We have a great team here. Everybody works together,” Naples said.

Trustee Steve Gerberry said the department’s success reflects Naple’s leadership.

“His leadership skills carry over to the police officers who serve the community in a professional way,” he said.

Naples said he credits the police staff and township officials for the success of the police department.

He began his career in Warren Township in 1984 as a full-time patrolman and started in Weathersfield in 1987 and later in Girard in 1995, where he served as a juvenile officer before returning in 2002 to Weathersfield as a police captain under Chief Joseph Consiglio.

Naples became interim police chief in 2014 and then chief in 2015.

Naples, a Niles native, coached high school football for more than 20 years as an assistant coach at Warren John F.. Kennedy High School.

In other business, resident Todd Murdock said she was concerned with the excessive amount of political signs on properties throughout the township with one lot having 18 signs at a busy intersection.

She said she understands residents can have signs on their own private property but some of the intersections have so many signs it may distract drivers from seeing oncoming traffic.

Gerberry said signs can be placed on private property lots, which some of the intersections are, but noted signs should not be blocking the view of drivers. He said political signs are prohibited from township and school property and the parks.

Gerberry said he is most concerned when political signs are put up and then after the election they are not taken down.

In other matters, the township approved proceeding with getting four structures declared by the Trumbull County Combined Health District as unfit for human habitation taken down: 2509 Beech St., 2188 N. Glenwood Ave., 1375 Emerson Ave. and 1345 Depot St., which also has junk motor vehicles that need to be removed.