IS THE SHOOTING TASK FORCE HANGING BY A THREAD?

Once again in true Hartford fashion, politics and egos promise to interfere with what is best for the residents of Hartford.

Sources on both the State and local level are telling me that a case of severe friction and turf wars worthy of Hartford's gangs are brewing in the Law Enforcement community.

It all started with the organization of the coalition formed between the City of Hartford, the Chief State's Attorneys Office, HPD, the Hartford County States Attorneys Office, and several other agencies and Towns.

Sources are telling me that the tension began when Mayor Segarra attempted to take the lead to give the appearance that it was his initiative that brought the group together. Apparently that was not the case.

From what several sources have told me, the initiative resulted from Governor Malloy instructing Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane to get involved and do "something" about Hartford's escalating violence and homicides. This was after Governor Malloy began asking " why isn't Hartford asking us for help?".

It seems that Kane and several others from his office and the Hartford County State's Attorneys Office set up a meeting with Mayor Segarra. Kane outlined the initiative and apparently questioned why Chief Daryl Roberts wasn't in attendance. Eventually, again apparently on Kane's insistence, Roberts was summoned to the Mayor's Office to be part of the meeting.

Although the Connecticut State Police are said to be part of the initiative, they have not been visible and no one from CSP was in attendance at the dog and pony show when it was announced on July 1st at the Mayor's press conference on Martin Street. When I asked Chief Roberts about their absence at the press conference, he replied to me "Oh, you noticed that?".

The Task force has actually been aggressive in locating guns and the shooters and has already made arrests of some very severe and dangerous individuals. The sad part is that one person close to the task force told me yesterday that an arrest is pending in a Homicide, but that they are waiting for the Mayor to schedule a press conference to announce the arrest.

I am not going to give the details or identify the homicide, but there should be no question that the suspects actions show that there is no way this person should be anywhere near Hartford's streets, press conference or not.

This is just crazy that we are letting political agendas and election year politics drive a very important crime initiative. Give credit where credit is due and stop the grandstanding.

It would be a shame for a program that has already shown proven results to be killed because of egos, but then again, that is the Hartford way.

Maybe we need a few more people like Kevin Kane who pretty much stood in the background when the initiative was announced but knows how important the program is to combating violence, whether he gets the credit or not, as well as the members of the task force doing the actual heavy lifting. Instead we have politicians who seem to be driven by their need for acceptance.