Robert Nivakoff spent forty years in law enforcement, beginning his career with the City of Stamford Connecticut Police Department when it was ranked over 100th in crime in the United States. He is well noted for transforming and revitalizing the Stamford Police Department into a modern contemporary, community based Police Department that was respected for its tactical excellence and major crime reduction strategy. By the time of his retirement, the City of Stamford Police Department had the lowest crime rate of any City in the Northeast. During the course of his career he was the recipient of 84 commendations. He was voted as Police Chief of the year in 2011 and spent 29 years as a Police Officer and Sergeant before being promoted through the ranks to be the Police Chief of Stamford.