In a News 12 exclusive, New Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter sat down for an interview and explained what his first two weeks on the job have been like and what his top priorities are.

Trust, transparency and community engagement are what Porter says the department will focus on.

Porter's appointment comes at a critical time for the city.

Porter, who'd been with the department for 30 years, came out of retirement to replace former Police Chief AJ Perez.

Perez spent time in prison for rigging the 2018 police chief's exam to earn the top cop spot.

"I feel hopeful. I want us to be taken for as we are now. And people who know me, don't connect with me from any negativity that occurred in our department in the past," Porter says.

Porter reflected on his first two weeks on the job.

"Engaging with police officers. If you see police officers, engage with them. I'm encouraging my officers to engage with people as well," he says.

In an effort to put community policing at the forefront, the chief is hosting a Facebook Live session he calls "Porter's Corner" on the Bridgeport Police Department's Facebook Page every Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Each week will be a different topic. Next week's topic is traffic and road safety.

Community members will have a chance to ask questions and voice their concerns.

"Our Facebook Live is not a substitute for us going out to neighborhood groups. But obviously, it just makes it more convenient for people," Porter says.

In addition to Porter's Corner, Porter says the department will continue to address staffing shortages.

Porter also spoke about violent crimes in the city of Bridgeport.

"People use the term soft on crime or hard on crime. We want to be smart. We want to be strategic," he says.

Porter also shared a message with Bridgeport residents.

"There's some positives here. And we're going to make sure we contribute to those positives when people come into the city," Porter says.