All indications are that the term of "Interim" Hartford Police Chief Brian Heavren may be one of the shortest in HPD history, according to City Hall and HPD sources. Heavren was named the interim Chief last week , prior to the retirement of Chief Daryl K. Roberts.
Former Hartford Police detective and current Office of the Chief State's Attorney Chief Inspector James Rovella has apparently been the choice of Mayor Segarra to lead the department for several weeks.
The Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) raised issues regarding Rovella's certification as a police officer recently. The issue appears to be more one of semantics since several Hartford Chiefs in recent history were appointed without POST certification, including Patrick Harnett, Bruce Marquis and former Assistant Chief Rosensweig.
Those three were not certified by POST and were not active as Law Enforcement officers in Connecticut at the time of their hiring. Rovella is currently , as an Inspector for the State's Attorney's Office, a sworn Law Enforcement Officer with statewide powers of arrest and also authourized to carry a firearm. The glitch apparently arises in the fact that Inspectors do not come under the legislation that governs "police officers".
It also seems it might come down to a matter of "turf" ,as other Police Chiefs are rising up to protect their job opportunities as well. The fact of the matter is that anyone could be appointed Chief as long as they receive their POST certification and become a certified police officer within one year after their appointment. The City Charter only requires that the Department be led by a police officer with full police powers and powers of arrest.
POST has apparently required that Rovella attend less than 60 hours of Academy classroom time to be POST certified, and according to sources he has already begun that time and should complete the required hours in the next couple weeks.
In the meantime, word is that Mayor Segarra, Chief Heavren and Chief Rovella will be addressing early and late rollcalls tomorrow morning at HPD.
Hey command staff empty your office and pack your boxes because the smackdown us about to take place at "know your role blvd., and jabronie drive." if you can smell what the Mayors cooking.
ReplyDeleteSame circus, same clowns, different Ring Leader. Let the games begin.
ReplyDeleteLook into Jaffee's improper "gag" order
ReplyDeleteI was hoping that Batman would be the new Chief, but I guess more of the same Political games to come. Thank You Mayor..
ReplyDeleteSay your prayers and eat your vitamins! The Hulkamaniacs will rule the Dept once again!!
ReplyDeleteDoes Jaffee Live in the City? His contract says that he must live in the City....Why do the rules only apply to certain people....
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor was very nice to us at role call.
ReplyDeleteThe only issue i have is that he mentioned that the the city has no money.
I totally understand that certain items cost the city money, but if maybe these fruitless legal battles that end up with the city paying out such as Chief Nolan and soon to be reinstated Rashim Campbell need to end.
Another Issue is why do Captains get hired at Captains Pay to work traffic details. Is that not an officer positon ? Maybe so, did the hire list properly go through the list of officers, detective, sgts, lts, etc? But i still get my jobs, I only mention it because why pay a captain when an officer can fill that spot, saving the City a large amount.. but I guess I would be called a winer because I speak the obvious solutions......
Jaffe has an "address" in Hartford but he doesn't live there.
ReplyDeleteHtfd ofc.
ReplyDeleteThat is called one selfish hand rubbing the other selfish hand at hpd
To streamline the dept and make everyone play by the rules would be too logical and instrumental to better this place. But the fact is everyone retires and is forgotten about faster then a fart in the wind. So patience is def a virtue. .....
At least the mayor finally stopped by headquarters ...Better late then never. Like a good steak ....
ReplyDeleteThe mayor and hopefully our next chief need to take a closer look at hpd and remove some dead wood.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should have asked the mayor why there has not been a police contract for 18 monthes. ...i bet his big ball this week is not running on donations from the march of dimes ...
ReplyDeleteKevin. Are u envited to the mayors party ??
ReplyDeleteAt least mc coy and roberts are gone. The mayor at least got rid of them. So i consider that equal to no contract .
ReplyDeleteanonymous 8:35PM ,
ReplyDeletemy invitation must have been lost in the mail
anonymous 8:34pm,
ReplyDeleteyou might also want to ask how a city with no money that can't afford Police raises can give bonuses to Council aides by the outgoing Council. I hear there may also be a list of other City Hall personnel that were given bonuses also
Louie the lugnut,
ReplyDeletemy instincts tell me that may already be in the works, Detectives like the FOI whiz may actually have to be reacquainted with Police work and actually protect the streets of Hartford, Sergeant's with a propensity for slipping on the shiny floors of Headquarters may actually be put out on the streets where the traction is better, and the stars are better in the sky than on collars and hopefully a few of those will be eliminated from a top heavy department.
In the meantime though, I think Mayor Segarra needs to move quickly to put a permanent Chief in place, the changes announced last week are doing more to confuse the rank and file and undermine morale. Officers need to know who is in charge and clear cut leadership needs to be defined
I agree Macho Man. Prayer is definitely needed, especially for those who don't have a "horse" or a trade, because working hard hoping to get by on your own merit will still mean nothing. Sorry
ReplyDeleteKevin, your 10:01 pm comment is right on the money, top to bottom.
ReplyDeleteI sense many Injury reports being filed to avoid patrol work . Since there is no ice on the ground, i guess slipping on banana peals in the rear lot may work .....
ReplyDeleteI guess comstat today was a contest to see who could Place the most hickies on the soon to be next chief .. Has the current command staff sunk to a new level ?
ReplyDeletePolishing apples in the chiefs complex is soon to be a job of the past.
ReplyDeleteComstat was a joke, every chief in there was babbling all over eachother trying to kiss Rovella's ass.
ReplyDeleteHint: your transparent act is making you look silly.
Suddenly all the "Rovella will be lost as a chief, sure he was a good detective but lets see him deal with a budget" chit chat has come to a screeching halt.
Anonymous 8:47pm,
ReplyDeleteIt is a classic example of too little too late and I think most observers are aware that the Chief's Complex has been a major impediment to any forward movement of HPD.
On the other hand, the Shooting Task Force has been a great example of how an organization should work. As an outsider looking in, I have to say it seems quite clear that Chief Rovella has an understanding of Rule #1 when it comes to basic management skills...as a leader you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with.
Both in the Shooting Task Force and I am sure when he becomes Chief, Rovella has already shown that he has surrounded hinself with excellent people. I hear he also has a novel idea when it comes to performance and isn't afraid to reach out to those around him and ask them "what can we do to perform better and get even better results?"
The current Command Staff has to realize their days are numbered, and that is unfortunate because they were right their creating the mess that is leading to their downfall and it is a lot of potential talent wasted.
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteI respect the message you've put out here. But what makes me sick is the same people that barked about Roberts needing to go, are the same underachievers that are making uneducated comments. Change is needed and change is here ! The people who are afraid are probably afraid because of their own actions and don't want to be held accountable for for them.
Will rovella change the world. Probably not. But I'm sure he's going to spice things up and remove some "dead weight" from important positions. And maybe the "slip and fallers " might actually have to strap on a vest and see the street. That is until they fake another injury. Mr. Brookman as someone else said. Your right on the money with this one.
By the way. Patrol ofc ..... It's roll call. Not role call. And those traffic jobs that your speaking of, the bill is paid by the XL or other means not the city. Your comment explains why your a patrol officer. Get comfortable your going to be there a while .....
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 1158 hrs,
ReplyDeleteSpoken like a true leader with a focus on his own pockets instead of leading by example. I guess the leadership books have not been delivered to you yet.
Anonymous at 1158 hrs,
ReplyDeleteIm not who you think, but since you ask, Im quite comfortable. I actually have spare time to work on my second income while i have my feet up laughing at your self centered leadership tactics. Keep up the excellent work.
talk about city being broke then why is Hartford currently paying the state rovella salary while he is an advisor??? and to the officer who was speaking about private jobs the city doesnt pay for those your obviously speaking on things you have no knowledge of. talk when your off FTO
ReplyDeleteI think the comments made about private duty procedures is refferring to the buddy system in place. First off officers can not go and get hired selectively by businesses. If the business wants to hire an officer. Per policy. And state labor laws require fair process. That is what those clip boards hanging in headquarters are for. It actually is interesting if the civic center did hire a captain to work in an officers capacity. That is a clear as day labor violation. I totally understand the buddy system here but dont make it look so obvious. Give him a road job. I hope the new chief reads this. Kevin do u think this is fair ??
ReplyDeleteThe meadows also hires that captain for like every concert during summer. I had a code 2 with a drunk guy and the captain just stood there in the intersection. But its ok. I agree with the dirty hire thing. If u going to just hire who u want then why are there clip boards with all officers names on it. Are we to believe that anything will change. Probably not. For the record i hav 5 years on. I passed all three phases of fto. But i failed driving. Lol
ReplyDeletenot to pick on you but you got into a "Code 2" maybe you failed knowing what exactly your codes mean and who they are used...
ReplyDeleteWe at HPD all know who the captain working the dirty overtime is Rethis.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we say his name. It must be out of fear. Rethis has to be disciplined . He keeps taking our overtime to pad his pension.
Anon 11:58, before u correct someone else, make sure ur own sh*t is on point. It's not your (possessive pronoun) but you're (contraction for you are). Secondly, you make it sound like Patrol is a punishment. When we all came on the job, all we wanted to do was put on the blue uniform and represent, then after we get sworn in and see the "kool" jersey boys, our priorities change. Some of us "scab" out to a "glory" position without learning the essentials of REAL POLICE WORK first aka the BASICS. And I, personally have fielded complaints over the years from citizens about the abuse that still goes on (mostly from suburbanites coming into the city, becoming an officer and treating them less than civil). It still goes on and they go protected because of where they work and who they work for. Hopefully a change is gonna come. And that's Real Talk.
ReplyDeleteReathis is not the only one. There is another that likes to 62 private jobs just like he likes to 62 dogs. Exactly. Do you think we all forgot about your little involvement in a theft of a dog at a patrol call. Exactly. ...
ReplyDeletePatrol is where the men are.
ReplyDeleteSo i guess the civic center and the meadows now hire selective captains for jobs. I think that is completely illegal. And i will document and track each illegal hire. Maybe the courant can publish my results at a discount. Maybe not because im in patrol. Things are going to change soon.
ReplyDeleteThe broken system at Police Headquarters has allowed certain individuals to take advantage. Kind of like an English Castle being lotted once the king is slain, but now a new beginning will start. The acting Chief is doing a good job, and hopefully the good ol boys regime will be out.
ReplyDeleteThe unity and trust is broken at headquarters, but can be rebuild once certain power hungry individuals lacking in people skills are gone.
ReplyDeleteMONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, is all certain self centered white shirts care about. We all started this job in patrol and were honored to wear the uniform. What happened, you became lazy and contributed to a broken system. A new regime is coming.
ReplyDeleteDet. Leo Chupron says that the police dept. has become a zoo. The state so call board was set up to control who is allowed to make chief of police.The best chiefs i have seen were guys who came up through the ranks and knew the guys when he took over. The college gang have tried to make it harder for those type of guys to become chief of police. You either want a college administrator or a Chief of Police, but you can,t have both. Hartford needs a Chief of Police.
ReplyDeleteDaryl Roberts tried to be a Chief of police, but city hall wouldn,t let him do that. The wanted the Adminstrator. City hall wants a man they can control, not a COP. The police dept needs to be taken away from the city hall group and the Mayor.
Look at how many chief of police,s are collectiong pensions from the city of Hartford, reason, because the city has no idea about how to run a police dept. They want someone they can control. Its all about power with the city and the mayors offices.
Daryl Roberts is a great guy, a good person. He could have cleaned up the city if left alone, but wasn,t .
Step 1
ReplyDeleteEmpty Dead Wood
Step 2
Build Morale among troops
Step 3
Lead by example
Why cant jid sgts and the state police all just get along. ....
ReplyDeleteThe blog blue page says....
ReplyDeleteSoon the dept will get a well deserved power washing. Especially those useless postions such as apple polisher and imaginary cso will be a thing of the past .......
the city has no idea about how to run a police dept
ReplyDelete------------------------------------
This might very well be true. And, it may be true that we need cops more than bureaucrat/administrators.
But, my sense as a layman reading this blog, is that a public policy guy wouldn't get much of a clue what specific management arrangements should change, or how.
Also, as a layman, I thank the cops for their work under difficult circumstances on and off the streets.
Leo, Daryl is not a great person nor was he even a competent chief of police. He was vindictive and created his own rules (that continues to hit City Hall in the pocket)He was carried since he was a sgt(a test he didnt pass)and he was groomed for the position he was just forced to vacate. He relied on the wrong people and didnt practice what he preached. Instead of taking trips to MD to visit KP, he should have been taking trips to CCMC to take and retake the public speaking course he so desperately needed. At least then he could have faked it better(sounding like he was competent). So u go ahead and buy one of those overpriced retirement tickets, which if those of us in the know had our way, it would be a roast based on facts. Would be a little uncomfy for Daryl. Dontcha think??? Nice try tho Leo
ReplyDeleteOops! All those yrs in the southend got my acronyms messed up. I meant CCTC for the Public Speaking classes. Lol!
ReplyDeleteDoesn't surprise me at all that
ReplyDeleteRethis is taking all of the over-
time, he learned the game when
he first joined the PD.
Anonymous 2-said
Dear Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteRethis disciplined, you have to be
joking...HPD should have never taken him when he came in from what
was it New Haven ? The guy has an
attitude problem, always had and always will, and let's not talk about his drinking issue. The guy is hot temper, plus anyone who can
work for a Police Dept. and rip off a landlord,because the least ran out, and not pay for 6 months, and left a back porch full of bags of empty beer cans, and bottles...definitly has a problem,and never mind the incident down on Wethersfield Ave, and also getting the Police car stuck on the wall between the houses where he use to live, and his buddies had to rush over and
get the car off the wall...hummm
yes Hartford's finest, so your worried about him getting the OT,so he can get ready to retire, well HPD should have thought about him when they hired him, and on top of that they promoted him too ! Yes..one of HPD's finest!
Good let him retire, good ridings! Now we can finially get some good and decent people working for HPD..the City deserves it !
Reathis is not only capt that likes pjs. There is another ..
ReplyDeleteFACT...The almighty ''ego'' is the sole and number one reason why the Hartford Police Dept. is broken and operates like a middle school.
ReplyDelete