DING DONG....SHE IS GONE

It is official, the Executive Director of Hartford Public Access Television , Billie Scruse, was terminated today .

After several years of running the station into the ground, one Board member described her termination as an opportunity for a new beginning.

I couldn't agree more

IF ONLY THEY HAD MADE HIM A DEPUTY CHIEF

It appears that HPD's problem child may be at it again. According to HPD sources, Sergeant Eric Smith, who found himself  being investigated recently after firing a bullet through his neighbors home, is once again the subject of an Internal Affairs Investigation.

You can read more about the bullet through the neighbors house  incident here

According to sources, Hartford Police Officer Stackowitz had just finished putting fuel in his cruiser at the DPW Yard on Jennings Road. As he got back on I-91 South from Jennings Road to head back to his area, he observed a black pickup truck pass him at speeds he apparently estimated in excess of 100MPH.

According to HPD sources, the officer in a fully marked cruiser , attempted to catch up to the pickup truck and was able to "close the gap" once he got close to the speeding truck, he activated his overhead lights in an attempt to stop the truck. In the area of the Capitol Area exit, the truck quickly merged to the right, crossing four lanes of traffic and took the exit leading to Pulaski Circle.

  The vehicle quickly took the Prospect Street exit and made a left onto Prospect Street, heading south. Running the red light at the top of the exit. Shortly after turning onto Prospect Street the driver of the black truck apparently  hit a patch of ice, lost control of the vehicle and hit a light pole snapping it off at the base. The light pole then apparently fell across Prospect Street.

The officer positioned his cruiser to protect the scene as the driver stepped out of the black truck. The officer, who according to sources reported that the driver of the truck was staggering and was bleeding, began to approach his cruiser. The officer then recognized the driver as Sergeant Eric Smith of the Hartford Police Department. Smith handed the officer his documents  and the officer began the process of documenting the accident.

The officer also then apparently notified a street supervisor, Sergeant Dennis O'Conner of the incident. Once Smith heard that O'Connor was responding, according to sources, Smith asked another officer at the scene, Officer Small, to help him carry the light post to the curb so he could leave. I'm not sure who would willingly touch a live aluminum electrical pole and move it but, Smith is a Sergeant and the new officer was most likely intimidated.

Smith , after leaving the scene, proceeded to his home in Windsor. The shift supervisor for the night, LT. Pleasant, paid Smith a visit  at his home in Windsor. Again , according to sources, Smith would only talk to Pleasent through the glass storm door and wouldn't open the door or talk to Pleasent face to face.

It would be interesting to know where Smith was before his attempt to allude the Police and his crash. Most people injured in accidents and bleeding , willingly  go to the hospital for treatment, unless you are worried about the police getting their hands on your blood samples through a search warrant and charging you with DUI.

 I have FOI'd the incident report, the radio recordings and the dash cam video which is reported to show the entire incident. I will post that as soon as I receive it.

I have to ask the question though, is this guy really the right person to be supervising anyone., especially his recent examples of his decision making?

And as far as the title of this posting, this is one of the 3 officers that a Council member was pushing to be promoted to Deputy Chief recently

MORE ON HARTFORD'S ANNIE OAKLEY, JUDGE THELMA SANTOS

Below are pictures of the parking space that Judge Santos apparently had made her threats to the officer over.
I can't see any markings on the space saying that it is reserved for "her Honor" or anything to indicate  that it was reserved.

Let me know if you can see anything I missed

Photos courtesy of HPD

920 Broad St

UPDATE: THE JUDGE SANTOS POLICE REPORT

Through an FOI request to the Hartford Police Department. I obtained the incident report filed with the Hartford Police Department regarding the incident with Superior Court Judge Thelma Santos.

To read the original posting, click here

Although the officer states in his report he thought that Judge Santos's comments may have been in jest, apparently someone from the Prosecutor's Office thought differently after he overheard the comment.and stated that Santos's behavior was inappropriate.

In this day and age of increased awareness of gun violence, and just a year after the Newtown shootings, is there any time a comment to use a gun on someone else is appropriate?

That report is below

Judge Santos Police Report0001

THE DRONE ISSUE CONTINUES

Lawsuits have been filed and the drone saga continues. Now a Bill has been introduced in the legislature  to regulate their use. The bill is attached below.

One question that remains though is how did the FAA get involved? The Hartford Police Department insists that they did not contact the FAA . A local television station reported that the FAA was investigating the matter, but the question now is who made the complaint? Was it one television station attempting to create a story to discredit their competition? We may never know.

Jim Peters, the regional spokesperson for the FAA, was unable to identify the complainant for me, but said it was not unusual for the agency to launch investigations based on media reports or media inquiries. Peters said that the 2012 FAA Reorganization and Modernization Act passed in Congress addressed the regulations of unmanned aircraft  (Drones) and policies are being formed to further address their use. Apparently their use over police scenes is of importance to both the FAA as well as the Law Enforcement community

DRONE BILL 2014HB-05217-R00-HB

THE VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BENCH

This is one for the "What was she thinking file?" or more appropriately , "Clearly she wasn't thinking". Several sources have confirmed that Superior Court Judge Thelma Santos, wife of Defense Attorney Hubert "Hubie" Santos , is apparently under judicial review. The review, being conducted by what one source called Judge's IAD, (Internal Affairs Department). is the result of verbal threats allegedly made by Judge Santos to shoot a Hartford Police Officer recently.


 The incident apparently began recently after a Hartford Police Officer was dispatched to the Juvenile Detention Facility at 920 Broad Street in Hartford. Judge Santos is apparently assigned to the Juvenile Court , sitting as  a Superior Court Judge there.


The officer, after arriving at the facility and found an open parking space and after parking his cruiser went about his business. The space he apparently parked in was reserved for Judge Santos from what sources said, but the sign marking the space as reserved was obstructed by snow.


As the officer finished up with his business, he was getting ready to leave and was apparently getting his weapon back out of a gun locker and , again , according to several sources, the officer was approached by Judge Santos who made a comment to the officer along the lines of  " you better hurry up and get that gun back before I shoot you for parking in my space"


Now we all know , everyone has a bad day. But we also hear all the time about Police Officers being held to a higher standard. Shouldn't that higher standard also apply to a Superior Court Judge when it comes to verbal threats against a Police Officer, no matter what the reason?


There is no confirmation as to whether Judge Santos may face any criminal charges for her role in the threatening of the Officer,  The investigation is ongoing and sources have  confirmed that Judge Santos apparently visited the Hartford Police Department accompanied by her attorney, James Wade . Judge Santos apparently apologized to the officer she allegedly threatened, according to sources


The CT Law Tribune lists Santos as a Superior Court Judge, Middletown Court for Juvenile Matters


Online records show that Santos was confirmed as a Superior Court Judge  in February of 2012 "That the nomination by His Excellency, the Governor, of the Honorable Thelma A. Santos of West Hartford to be a Judge of the Superior Court, to serve for a term of eight years from March 9, 2012, is approved and confirmed, and she is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court for said term."


Now lets wait and see who will claim this as an "exclusive" story first.


 The Judicial Judge Review Report will be posted once it is available.

THE DRONE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES

Although others may have claimed to have broken the drone story and claimed it as "exclusive", you read it here first You can read the original story here




Now it is coming to life again as a Federal lawsuit has been filed by the operator of the drone against members of the Hartford Police Department. This should prove interesting as the suit moves forward. More information is sure to come out as to who knew what and when they knew it. Were  any Channel 3 WFSB or Merdith Corporation  Corporate policies violated and who will be held accountable if so.


Stay tuned on this one




HERE IS THE LAWSUIT FILED TODAY

Drone Lawsuit0001

APPARENTLY YOU CAN'T TEACH COMMON SENSE

A vehicle being returned to the Burns School Parking lot after being improperly towed by Whitey's

Sometimes potential blog postings get dropped in my lap  and I just can't say no.. Hartford is a good City, with good people living here. When I see them being victimized, it is hard to sit back and say no. I was sitting by the fireplace with a nice fire going when the phone started ringing.

Apparently people who had parked in the lot of the Burns School on Putnam street to comply with the parking Ban were having their cars towed out of the lot by Whitey's Towing. Something didn't seem right. Why was Whitey's the only one towing and what was the need to tow them since there were no classes until Tuesday.

These were cars of most likely hard working residents who were trying to obey the requests of City leaders to comply with the Parking Ban. Since Burns is only a few minutes from my home, I left the warmth of the fireplace and went out to see first hand what was going on.

I expected to see a snowy mess of a parking lot which needed to be plowed, possibly explaining the need for the towing . Nope, the lot was plowed better than most City streets. I saw a police cruiser in the lot speaking to a couple women. It turned out to be the Principal and Assistant Principal of the School. From what I was told, the Principal orchestrated the towing and called Whitey's Towing to remove the cars.

I know Whitey's routinely preys on Hartford's residents with their towing operations and "trespass tows", but in this instance I think I will give them a pass. The principal called and at $100.00 per car, it was somewhat legit and business is business. They could have asked if the tow was proper after the Mayor had requested them to park there , but they didn't

I don't think the Principal understands neighborhood relations, The very cars she was towing were most likely her neighbors that live within a few hundred feet of Burn's school. Probably the parent's of some of her very students, maybe working more than one job to make ends meet. She probably takes her salary and heads out of town at the end of the day. So what if the parents have to pay $100.00 and storage fees to get their cars back.

 Plus, the Mayor's parking ban had ended at 4:00PM, what was the sense of urgency to have the cars towed less than 2 hours later.

So anyway, when I got there I started making calls . This was wrong in so many ways. Once again Sergeant Bremser, who was stellar in his passion for City residents when he escorted the Funeral last Saturday for Chantay Drake, once again stepped up to support our residents.  Bremser, as Sergeant in the Traffic Division works very closely with the City's contracted tow companies. Sergeant Cicero, who was also present, assisted in getting the cars returned from their improper journey's

Whitey's Towing was contacted and it appears that there is no contract between Whitey's  and the Burns School. There are quite a few requirements  under State Law to conduct Trespass Tows, the most basic requirement being a written contract between the property owner and the towing company. That does not exist apparently in this case.

In the end, Whitey's apparently agreed to return the vehicles they towed , at no cost to the owners to avoid any further action, Shortly after 8:00pm, the cars were towed back to the lot

Here is another story about Whitey's predatory towing practices.

I knew our Mayor, Hollywood Segarra , is handing out the key to the City to John Leguizamo tomorrrow night at Burns. Now that I think about it, the cars were probably where Segarra was planning on setting up his red carpet for his walk to hand Leguizamo the key to the City Saturday. The residents who had their cars towed were probably not even a thought. The show must go on.

Maybe we should be paying more attention to the needs of our residents first.

In the meantime, I have to ask what the Principal  was thinking and why she thought she was authorized to eneter into an agreement to tow the cars. Like I said, apparently you can't teach common sense.. The spokesperon for Hartford Schools was unavailable for comment.

Thank you to those involved for putting our residents first and getting their cars back. Maybe Whitey's should bill the Principal who allowed this to happen

HOLLYWOOD PEDRO: MAYBE A KEY TO A SNOWPLOW IS MORE APPROPRIATE

SATURDAY: MAYOR SEGARRA TO PRESENT JOHN LEGUIZAMO WITH KEY TO CITY

Comedian Comes to Burns Latino Academy to Raise Funds for Auditorium Renovation

--- NEWS AND COMMUNITY STATEMENT---

(February 14, 2014) Hartford Mayor Pedro E. Segarra will present comedian and actor John Leguizamo with the Key to the City at a comedy event to benefit the Burns Latino Studies Academy. The show,  “A Night of Comedy With John Leguizamo will be held at the Burns School’s auditorium, and proceeds from the performance will help pay for improvements at the school. Tickets are $60 per person and are only available for purchase . Seating is limited to 450, and tickets will not be available at the door.

“It’s great that John Leguizamo has chosen to invest his time in support of Hartford’s youth,” said Mayor Segarra.

The event is being presented in partnership with the COMPASS Youth Collaborative Inc., a not-for-profit child and youth service organization that provides after-school enrichment, academic and recreational programs to Hartford school children.

ARE ANY OF THE MANAGERS AT CITY HALL CAPABLE OF MANAGING?

I would really like to see an internal audit occasionally that says things are going well and people are doing their jobs. Unfortunately , I don't anticipate that until there is a full clean sweep of City Hall, from the Mayor right on down.

Today another Internal Audit report was released detailing the deficiencies of collecting the funds due the City from special events. If the invoices are ever even billed, the collection rate seems to be very poor, yet we continue to allow the same groups to hold events without their previous bills ever being paid.

The report below speaks for itself. How many vehicle repairs could be completed if the money was collected or how many years could we fund the mounted patrol on $100,000.00.

This is the height of incompetence by the Mayor, his COO and others at City Hall.

What will be next for the Auditors to uncover?

Special Event Fee Billing and Collect on Audit

WORD OF THE DAY AT HARTFORD DPW...CURB TO CURB

React, React, React.

That is one of the big problems with the Segarra Administration. Everything is a reaction rather than any proactive approach or any vision

Today the catch phrase at DPW, and even with Segarra at his press conference , is "curb to curb"

My posting last night and the attached picture showed that it was apparently was a foreign concept to those entrusted to plowing our streets curb to curd. Here is last night's posting

Asked how the city was responding to complaints of roads still covered in snow from previous storms, Segarra said: "We are doing the best we can with what are successive snow storms. ... We're getting better at doing curb-to-curb [plowing]."

I sure hope we are getting better at it. If not we will all be driving down the double yellow line if we get much more snow.

PENNY WISE POUND FOOLISH

I understand that Hartford has tough budget issues, many are self imposed by the current Administration. The latest one may be the results of DPW Budget cuts. For years there as an attendant at "City Yard" the name for the DPW Facility on Jennings Road. That is where DPW vehicles are garaged as well as City vehicles repaired and maintained.

For many years the attendant fueled the police vehicles and checked fluid levels such as oil and engine coolant. Police Vehicles were regularly scheduled for service and oil changes. Now the e-mail above details that there is apparently no money available for repair of certain police vehicles, including one who "blew" the engine for lack of oil.

Before you start screaming that is the cops fault who drove it, engines don't lose that much oil in a day or two, if these vehicles were checked regularly, it would have been noticed long before it went dry. In many cases ,officers are immediately dispatched to calls when they begin their shift and may not even have time to go to service for fuel.

The prisoner van was a vehicle that was purchased with a 6 cylinder engine , over the opposition of those knowledgeable of the manner of use of the vehicle. The van is immediately outfitted with metal caging with almost jail cell type accessories to be able to securely carry persons arrested and then transported to jail. Add to the 2000 or so pounds of additional equipment the weight of 5 or 6 male prisoners and the van is well over it's recommended weight usage.

These are the type of crazy decisions that are made by City Hall everyday by people that are strictly bureaucrats and know nothing about what they are doing.

In the meantime, maybe some of the snow tow money from today could be allocated  to the "Cars that City Yard has no Money to Repair" Account.. Or maybe a few layoff notices to unnecessary staff members in the Mayor's Office could rectify the problem.

HARTFORD CITY COUNCIL PICKS NEW DEPUTY CHIEFS

Well, at least one of them. Three new Deputy Chiefs for HPD were picked today by Chief Rovella. According to sources, the Council approval and funding for the three slots were contingent upon strings placed on the approval by at least one Councilperson. Again, according to sources, the Councilperson provided HPD with three names that had to be promoted if the money was going to be approved without a fight..

Two of the names on the Councilpersons list though were ineligible for promotion based upon their current rank. Apparently to be promoted to Deputy Chief, you must be at least a lieutenant or higher. The one name on the list that was eligible  to be promoted  was actually promoted.

The announcement that was released today by Chief Rovella. He apparently stated that "after discussions with Assistant Chief Heavren" he was appointing Lieutenant's Brian Foley, Dustin Rendock and Rob Ford to the position of Deputy Chief.. Don't ask who Heavren is, it is a long story.

Foley will continue in the Detective Division as Deputy Chief of the Investigative Services Bureau (ISB). Foley also serves as the Department spokesperson and is expected to continue in that position. Ford will apparently assume responsibility for the North District. That area is currently supervised by Deputy Chief Neville Brooks. Brooks has recently been doing double duty supervising the Central and North Districts. Lt.Rendock will assume the Professional Standards Division  which is currently working on accreditation standards for HPD.

All three promotions are expected to take effect as of Sunday.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS...EXCEPT DURING A SNOW PARKING BAN

Can anyone in the City of Hartford say they are not aware that as soon as any snow accumulation is predicted, Mayor Segarra calls for a Parking Ban on City Streets? Tonight the ban is beginning probably 12 hours before the first flakes will begin piling up.

Better safe than sorry. Segarra doesn't want to risk any City hall employees or their boyfriend's, partner's, significant others  crashing anymore City Vehicles in snowy weather. Even though the Council issued their decree on use of City Vehicles, I am not sure that is being followed.

But anyway, I think we jumped the gun on the timing of this parking ban, but if it makes the Mayor feel as though he has some power, so be it. And this gives his Director of Misinformation something to do, she sure isn't replying to e-mails requesting information from the Mayor's Office.

The Director of Misinformation may want to google flag etiquette though. Yesterday she sent out a press release that Segarra had ordered all flags flown at half staff. The Mayor has no authority to do that, only the President, the Governor of any State and the Mayor of Washington DC can order flags flown at half staff. But when do the rules matter in Hartford.

Back to my topic, people really need to pay attention to the parking bans. The almost $200.00 cost to retrieve your vehicle is crazy. If street parkers haven't realized yet, HPD is taking the parking bans seriously and sending a message. Clear the streets of your vehicles or pay the cost.

There is no excuse... the message is out and last snowstorm, almost 1,000 parking tickets were issued by HPD. That is almost $100,000 in revenue  for the City, if collected. That is a big if ,since many of the vehicles are unregistered , misused plates or in some cases stolen and dumped on the street.(NOTE TO COUNCIL- It might make sense to put some of that ticket revenue back into the PD Budget, since the entire cost for writing those tickets is borne through the HPD Budget. How many months could the Mounted Unit be supported by $50,000 in ticket revenue and tomorrow should be another ticket frenzy that could add another $50,000 . Just a thought)

Bottom line is to pay attention to the ban or pay the price. In the meantime, don't bother patronizing any  Hartford businesses with on street parking tonight because chances are good your car won't be there when you come out, and if it is it will probably have a $100.00 ticket on it

HERE IS THE PROBLEM

There is a very simple concept in snow plowing known as "curb to curb". It is not complicated, when plowing , you plow to the edger of the street until you feel the plow blade hitting against the curb.

Would you pay someone to plow your driveway if they only cleared the center. Probably not.

Hartford needs to start plowing "curb to curb". It does no good for the Hartford Police to enforce parking bans and clear the streets of vehicles if the streets aren't then plowed to the edge. The picture like the one above shows the newly created traffic barrier created by  snow plowing.

The edge of Main Street is now almost 8 feet from the curb, essentially eliminating a traffic lane. And it is not just Main Street. Take a look at Asylum, Farmington, Franklin Ave, Washington Street, just about every major thoroughfare as well as side streets are now choked down to single lanes with almost concrete like piles of snow. This also creates a huge problem for emergency  vehicles trying to get down these single lane roadways during rush hour ,when there is no place for drivers to move out of the way

We need to start getting it right from the first storm out, now it is too late to remove much of this snow once it freezes. Some drivers do get it though, Zion street looked almost perfect after the last storm. Maybe that driver could conduct some plow training for his fellow plow drivers.

On the positive side, at least the fire hydrant was cleared out

HE SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS COFFEE IN WINDSOR

NDC Connecticut is reporting the following:

The Bridgeport police officer who accidentally shot himself in the foot in a crowded bagel shop in December has been charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm.

According to police, on the morning of Dec. 17, Officer Juan Santiago was sitting at a table at Bagel King with three other Bridgeport Police Officers when he “mishandled” another officer’s pistol and shot himself in the left thigh.

Santiago was taken to St. Vincent’s Medical Center for treatment. His injuries were minor.

He turned himself in to Connecticut State Police and was arrested Feb. 10 following a joint investigation conducted by state police and the State’s Attorney’s Office.

Protestors rallied outside Bridgeport police headquarters on Dec. 23 to ask police to file charges against Santiago. The investigation began that day.

Santiago remains on administrative status with the Bridgeport Police Department.

“First, I would like to say we are grateful that the officer is recovering from his injury,” said Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett, Jr., in a statement. “We have said from the outset that we requested the State Police handle the investigation so the public would have confidence that it would be fair and unbiased.

The State Police conducted a thorough investigation, consulted with the State’s Attorney’s Office and made a determination that we will respect.”

Santiago was released on a promise to appear and is due in court Feb. 18.

This paralells closely the case of Hartford Police Sergeant Eric Smith who fired a round through his neighbors house with the round landing in the bed of his next door neighbor's young daughter.


Why is it illegal in Bridgeport and not in Windsor? I guess it all depends who you know.


Here is the link to the  Eric Smith Windsor story

A VERY LONG WEEK

Sgt Bremser, left and members of the HPD Traffic Division showing their respect as the funeral procession enters Spring Grove Cemetary on Main Street.

Whether you are a person of faith or not, I am sure many people were questioning God's will when a four year old child was recently killed in a tragic fire on Bedford Street. Chantay Drake, 4, was killed in the fire, her mother Susan Therrien  died a few days later from injuries sustained in the fire.

I find it hard to understand how a four year old can be taken in such a violent and tragic way. But after seeing the outpouring of concern and caring for Chantay Drake, it does become a little clearer that the opportunity for positive can come out of this tragic death.

I have written about some of this already, but parts of it just seem to need repeating so that everyone understands that Hartford does have compassion and cares for each other. This was all very evident after several recent events. Shortly after Chantay's death, the Milner School on Vine Street showed an outpouring of their love for Chantay, who along with her sister Kayla were both students at Milner. Over a hundred people gathered outside Milner for a vigil in subfreezing temperatures to start the mourning process.

Speeches and prayers helped to start the healing process for those who attended. The following Saturday, Rev. Henry Brown held a street vigil in front of the scene of the fire on Bedford Street. It was a somber scene, looking at all of the fire debris surrounding the building after it had been shoveled out of the windows by fire inspectors.

 It was also extremely eerie to look at the barred windows and not being able to comprehend the terror that those inside must have felt as the fire grew inside before taking their lives and causing the injuries that eventually took Suzanne's life. The feeling of helplessness by firefighters arriving on the scene , seeing a fire victim trapped behind the bars must also take a toll.

The funeral for Chantay was a fitting tribute to one of Heaven's newest angels.  It took some work, but Chantay was eventually brought back to Hartford, courtesy of the Ahern Funeral Home, and on Saturday she was laid to rest in a very heartwarming and respectful ceremony. I was at the Funeral Home early Saturday morning at the start of another cold and icy morning.

A flower arrangement from Chantay's classmates at Milner School

The Hartford Police Department stepped up to do their part in making the funeral procession a tribute to Chantay and her short life. Earlier in the week I had called Sergeant John Bremser of the Hartford Police Traffic Division and asked what the possibility was of getting an escort for the Funeral procession. Bremser's response was very similar to that of Frank Ahern when I asked him if he could handle the funeral arrangements. Bremser simply said "Consider it covered".

On Saturday morning, Bremser and his officers arrived at about 8:15am, two black Tahoe's and two Police Harley Davidson motorcycles. No easy task for motor officers in 14 degree weather, but none the less, they did it. After carrying the small white casket and placing it in the polished black hearse, surrounded by flowers and teddy bears, the procession was off and headed toward the Liberty Christian Center  on Vine Street.

I don't there is anything stronger than the statement made by a funeral procession with a couple of roaring police Harley's in the lead. If you have never seen HPD handle a funeral procession, it is like a carefully orchestrated ballet act. With the Harley's in the lead and a black Tahoe taking up the rear, other vehicles leapfrog along the route clearing intersections on the route for the procession to pass through.

After arriving at the Liberty Christian Center, pallbearers carried the small casket inside for Chantay's calling hours. I had never met Chantay but I had seen pictures of her and her big smile with her front teeth missing as she lost her baby teeth . I was not expecting an open casket and was surprised when the flowers were brought in and the casket was opened for viewing. I mentioned before that Chantay was Heaven's newest angel.

I couldn't help thinking that as I saw her in a beautiful baby blue party dress with sequins on it and her silver colored slippers and white knee high socks. I have never been to a wake or funeral for a child, and I'll admit this was not easy. She looked so peaceful, but I kept thinking "How could God do this?". She was so innocent, so peaceful.

As I sat there watching members of the community  file in and pay their respects, I couldn't help but think that there was already good coming out of Chantay's terrible death.People such as Sergeant Bremser and Frank Ahern were already showing everyone that Hartford is a good City with good people. Her school community at Milner was probably already strengthened and forming tighter bonds to the community. There might even be some more long term effects , such as hopefully legislation for bars on windows to have to be able to open from the inside during a fire to allow escape from an inferno.

It is probably not a wise choice to question God's will, but if nothing else, the last week and the outpouring of love from the community helped make it a little clearer, at least for me.

Thank you to everyone who helped with that  A sincere thank you again to Frank Ahern and the Ahern Family, Sgt. Bremser of HPD, Andrea Comer, Marta Bentham , State Representative Doug McCrory, Council President Shawn Wooden and his colleagues at Day Pitney and I know I am probably leaving someone out and I apologize in advance.

Chantay's death is not in vain, she has helped to strengthen our community through her tragic death. May she now rest in peace in Heaven in the arms of her mother

WHEN IT RAINS , IT POURS

Some guys just can't get a break. Read the latest embarrassment for the Christie Administration at watchdog.org , click here

A SINCERE THANK YOU

Hartford sometimes gets a bad rap as an uncaring City. A recent tragedy has shown that we do know how to come together as a community.

A structure fire on Bedford Street recently took the life of 4 year old Chantay Drake, her mother succumbed to her injuries from the fire a few days later. As with most families, no one really plans for the death of a child, and life insurance for Chantay was probably the furthest thing from her mother Susan Therrien's thoughts.

As a result of her tragic death, Chantay deserves to be laid to rest in a proper ceremony and burial.

To attempt accomplish that , I spoke with State Representative Doug McCrory of the 7th District. Doug is my State Rep and I also proudly serve with him on the Democratic Town Committee. I know Doug's passion for the City and its children and especially his commitment to children, both through Sports Programs and Education.

I contacted Doug and asked if he would help me establish a relief fund to accept donations for the burial and funeral expenses of Chantay and if extra money was collected the remainder would be used to establish a college fund for the surviving child, Kayla Drake. Doug readily agreed to help.

The next step was to call Marco Signorelli, the Director of the Hartford Municipal Employees Credit Union, to establish an account to accept donations. Within minutes, with the cooperation of Marco and his staff, the account was opened. Donations to the fund can be sent to the Hartford Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union at 443 Franklin Avenue, Hartford, CT  06114 c/o the "Bedford Street Fire Victims Fund". Thank you to Marco and his staff for their committment to Hartford.

Next was the issue of arranging for a Funeral and services and finding a Funeral Director that would arrange the services knowing that payment was not guaranteed. I called Frank Ahern of the Ahern Family Funeral Home. My family has known the Ahern's going back probably over 60 years to my grandmother who was very good friends with Francis Ahern, the original founder of the business.

I had a conversation previously with Frank Ahern at the wake for my Uncle at their Unionville location a couple years ago. During that conversation, Frank told me about a conversation  and a promise he had made to his father before his father passed away. His father had a definite love for Hartford and apparently asked Frank to promise him that as long as the Ahern family remained in business they would always have a presence in Hartford. Frank agreed, and he lives true to that promise today.

I called Frank and imposed on him for a favor. I explained the situation  and asked what he could do. Without hesitating he replied that I should tell Chantay's family that the Ahern Family would take care of Chantay's needs without question. There apparently are some state benefits available that will offset some of the cash expenses, grave openings, death certificates, the vault and other required items,. Other than that, the Ahern's are taking care of the arrangements.

In the end, after the necessary costs are covered , that will hopefully allow the remainder of the  Fund to be set aside to establish a College fund for Kayla so that when she turns 18, she will have a head start on obtaining an education It will be a difficult road for Kayla without her sister and her mother, but she is very fortunate to have a loving aunt and Grandmother who are caring for her now.

This has been a very difficult and trying time, but , despite being a terrible tragedy it is also gratifying to see people coming together and forging ahead to ensure that Chantay has a proper and respectful ceremony to make sure she is able to rest in peace..

In addition to Frank Ahern and Marco Signorelli, I would like to also thank Andrea Comer and Marta Bentham for their diligence and commitment to Kayla and Chantay. To all of the donor's that are making this possible, thank you also. If you haven't sent a check yet, please consider doing so any amount is greatly appreciated. And also keep in mind that we are still collecting items for the burned out families also, clothing and household items to help them get back on their feet can be dropped off at Trinity Episcopal Church at 120 Sigourney Street in Hartford, Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 3:00PM. The office is closed on Friday's. Or on Sunday during Church Services

One thing I am sure Hartford does have are caring people that step up during difficult times. My sincerest thanks and gratitude to all.

Below are the details for Chantay's Services:

Shantay Lynn Drake 2009 - 2014 | Obituary |

 Shantay Lynn Drake, 4, of Hartford, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 28th, 2014. Shantay was born April 3, 2009 in Hartford to Bobby Drake and Susan Therrien. Shantay was a student at Jumoke Academy at Milner School where she will be dearly missed. Her mother Susan has joined her in Heaven. She is survived and was extremely loved by her father Bobby who misses her hugs and vampire smiles, her inseparable sister Kayla Drake, many brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. We know our little angel is hugging our Lord and Savior. Friends may call at the Christian Liberty Center, 23 Vine St., Hartford on the corner of Vine Street and Albany Avenue on Saturday (Feb. 8) from 10:00-11:00am followed by a Celebration of her Life at 11:00am in the Christian Liberty Center. Burial will be in Spring Grove Cemetery, 2035 Main St., Hartford. Arrangements are being handled by The Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc., www.ahernfuneralhome.com. Published in The Hartford Courant on Feb. 4, 2014

WANTED BY HPD

Willie Eason

THIS IS CRAZY

This posting will be brief since it is almost 3:30am

Hartford Police are on the scene of another shooting. This one has a strange twist though. The victim, if you can call him that, is Alexander Bradley. Bradley was the guy that Aaron Hernandez , yeah that Aaron, the former Patriot now sitting in a jail cell accused of murder, Hernandez allegedly shot Bradley in the eye. Bradley, 33, has filed a civil lawsuit against Hernandez, claiming he was shot in the face by the former player in February  2013 as they were driving in Florida after arguing in a Miami strip club.

Bradley was apparently shot several times in the legs and groin area inside a bar at 151 Meadow Street. He then left and went to his cousins car outside to retrieve his gun. The car belongs to Bradley's cousin who happens to be a Corrections Officer. From what sources are telling me, workers inside the club saw Bradley returning with the gun and they locked the front door. Bradley then fired 11 rounds through the front window into the club.

Luckily for those inside, Bradley was shooting with only one eye and no one inside the club was hit.

Bradley was apprehended by HPD as they fled the scene in his cousins car a couple blocks away. Bradley was bleeding profusely and was transported to Hartford Hospital.

Sources also stated that Bradley, umm, how do I say this, was less of a man than he was when he started the night due to the gun shots to his groin area.

THE DRONE MYSTERY

Recently I have received several inquiries regarding a drone that has been noticed hovering over HPD Investigation scenes. The attention on drones has seemed to have increased after the recent reports of Amazon.com considering using drones for deliveries.Apparently a drone capable of transmitting video, similar to that pictured above, can be purchased for $500 to $1000

For Law Enforcement, drones , and their use, pose a certain set of questions about their safe operation. Crime scene tape is usually sufficient to keep the media at bay while evidence is being collected. In the case of a drone, sensitive video and evidence can be obtained from a drone hovering overhead, with virtually unrestricted access to a crime scene.

Yesterday the drone was hovering over the scene of a fatal accident on Main Street. Although HPD did what they could to cover the dead body of the crash victim still in the car, from the street level view, I would imagine that the aerial view might possibly reveal a much more different sight. Does any family want to see a video showing up on "you tube" of their maimed relative lying dead in the vehicle?

I strongly believe in the public's and the media's right to know. I think HPD has shown over the last year or two that they are extremely open and transparent and share as much information as  possible. Victim and suspect information as well as photographs of the individuals and evidence are normally e-mailed to the media within hours after an incident.

A drone shooting aerial video could possibly compromise investigations by exposing all evidence on the ground that might be crucial to the investigation. It also is a large officer safety issue. In this day  and age of "instant media" I don't think a lot of television stations consider what they are putting out in the effort to be the first to report "breaking news. Many times the instant video is exposing strategic locations of police officers.

 The images of Emergency Response Teams or 'SWAT" officers makes for great images with officers armed with assault rifles and military garb jumping out of armored vehicles. The problem is that in most cases, the same individuals that they are called to apprehend also have television sets and could also be watching the live shots of those same officers arriving on scene, courtesy of your local network station.

This happened a few years ago after a couple HPD officers were shot on Zion Street during a drug raid. At that time a local station had a helicopter. As the scene unfolded, the chopper was hovering overhead transmitting live video of every officers location around the perimeter of the building. HPD was able to quickly get the air space over the scene closed by the FAA and the chopper was forced to shut down its video and exit the area.

A drone could potentially do the same thing. Apparently the drone's camera has the capacity to transmit video back to a smart phone or receiver and then be sent out to anyone the operator decided The FAA still has control over the use of drones and the airspace the drone operates in. The use of a drone is not just something any hobbyist can do unrestricted , there are numerous federal regulations governing their use with apparently stiff penalties for reported violations

The mystery use of the drone that has been concerning HPD was solved yesterday. The operator was located and identified as a cameraman for a local television station and from what sources told me, he was transmitting the live video back to his station. I would imagine this situation is not over yet as new technology brings new challenges to law enforcement.

MORE ON THE BROKEN JUDICIAL SYSTEM

After I posted the earlier story about Shermane Rose, I was sent the link to a Hartford Courant archive story about Rose's original crime.

It begs the question... "why is this guy even out on the street, running with guns and running from the police"

This might be a good story to dig into and try to figure this out. Here is alink to the Courant story from 2001

Here is the actual text from the story:

Man Charged With 1998 Homicide

Bloomfield Teen Was Fatally Shot In Alleged Kidnap Attempt

January 20, 2001|By TINA A. BROWN; Courant Staff Writer

Hartford police say they solved a 3-year-old homicide Friday when they arrested a man who allegedly shot and killed 17-year-old Joey Nealey in broad daylight on Albany Avenue.
Sharmane ``Mane'' Rose, 21, of Albany Avenue, who is in prison on an unrelated offense, now faces capital felony murder, felony murder, kidnapping and robbery charges. He could face the death penalty, Lt. Mark Pawlina, head of the Hartford police major crimes division, said.

Nealey, a Bloomfield High School student who liked to hang out on Albany Avenue around Kent and Adams streets, initially heeded his mother's warning to stay off the streets in January 1998, after a friend was killed in a drive-by shooting.
But he was drawn back there the afternoon of Jan. 23 of that year when, witnesses told police and his mother, Phyllis, two men tried to kidnap her son from the street corner moments before the shooting. Nealey fought back, even though a man had a gun to his back.
When Nealey refused to empty his pockets, the man allegedly shot Nealey in the head. That man was Rose, police said Friday.
Nealey died two days later at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford. Early in the investigation, Dets. Robert Dionne and Stephen Grabowski arrested two men, Christopher Brown and Benjamin Smith, who police said helped the shooter.
Smith was convicted in August for his involvement in the Nealey case. Smith pleaded guilty in June to third-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery. The latter plea was entered under the Alford doctrine, meaning Smith did not admit guilt but acknowledged that the state had enough evidence to convict him. He is currently serving more than 18 years in prison for his involvement in two unrelated robberies.
No court information was available Friday about Brown's case.
Of Rose's arrest, Phyllis Nealey, of Hartford, said, ``I was happy and grateful when they found him.''
But she said she doesn't want Rose to face the death penalty. ``I hope they give him life. I wouldn't want him to die. I'd love for him to spend the rest of his life in jail thinking about what he did to my son,'' Nealey said.
The young Nealey loved lifting weights and listening to rap and R&B music. He is still missed by his family, including three relatives who have named their children after him.
``His name is living on,'' she said.

THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS DEFINITELY BROKEN

Crash scene on Brown Street

Photo Courtesy of Anonymous Source

The vehicle above is part of the results of an accident caused by a couple of convicted felons who were fleeing from the Hartford Police and members of the Shooting Task Force. That isn't entirely unusual but the convicted felons in the vehicle were  and when you finish reading, you will wonder why they were on the streets at all.

It all started when members of the STF were in the area of the Cleveland Cafe on Main Street. Due to recent gunfire in the area as well as a recent shooting, the area was getting increased attention from the STF. A minivan with New York plates attracted their attention and officers eventually conducted a traffic stop and  approached the vehicle in the area of 251 Asylum Street.

As officers approached the vehicle , they noticed the front seat passenger making movements and appeared to be reaching for something alongside the front door. As officers approached, the vehicle sped off and headed for I-91 South from Pulaski Circle. The van exited at the Airport Road exit. HPD Officer Parker  laid out stop sticks in an effort to deflate the vans tires and force it to stop. The van proceeded west on Airport Road and in the area of Franklin and Brown, the driver lost control and crashed.

The only injuries in the crash were to the vans 2 passengers,  Shermane Rose and James Canidate, The operator of the van fled on foot and despite the use of a Police K-9 to track him, the effort was unsuccessful.

Now here is where it seems to get interesting. Remember during the original stop on Asylum  as Officers approached the van they observed the movement by the passenger door by  the front seat passenger? After the crash, police located a fully loaded Luger 9mm Hi Point handgun in the door pocket , along with several grams of crack cocaine.

The real interesting part is that Shermane Rose was convicted of  Murder, Robbery and Kidnapping  in 2001 He was sentenced to 20-30 years in prison at his sentencing. I am not sure how long he has been out, but he definitely seems to have served less than 13 years on a possible 30 year Murder Sentence..  And not to mention running around with a gun and crack cocaine and eluding the Police.

Our Courts and the judicial system are failing us when they put violent criminals back on our streets after serving about one third of their sentence. The police can only do so much. Apparently they had already built a case against Rose that resulted in his conviction on Murder , Robbery and Kidnapping charges. I think it is safe to say they did their part.

What now for Mr. Rose? A few hours of Community Service? Gun control can only go so far if we aren't serious about getting convicted felons with weapons off of our streets.

The official release from HPD:

On February 1st, 2014 at 12:01am, members of the Shooting Task Force (STF) were conducting directed patrols in the area of Main Street at Cleveland Avenue. A blue Dodge minivan with a NY registration was observed traveling at a high rate of speed south on Main Street. Officers attempted to catch up to the vehicle on Main Street at Asylum Street. The minivan turned west on Asylum Street and went through a red traffic control signal at Trumbull Street. A motor vehicle stop was conducted in the area of 251 Asylum Street by STF Officers. When the officers approached the minivan, the front passenger made furtive movements as if he was reaching for an item along the side of the door.  At that point the operator accelerated away from the officers. Officers followed the vehicle to Pulaski Circle and onto Interstate 91 south bound and kept a visual on the vehicle from a safe distance. Officers advised via radio that the vehicle was exiting off exit 27 towards Airport Road. As the vehicle approached Airport Road, Officer Parker deployed stop sticks deflating the mini vans tires. The minivan continued west on Airport Road, across Wethersfield Avenue. On Brown Street just west of Franklin Avenue, the minivan lost control and struck one occupied vehicle and one parked vehicle. Vehicles were heavily damaged. The only injuries to occur were non-life threatening injuries to the two passengers in the minivan (Accused Rose and Canidate). The operator fled on foot and has yet to be located. Located in the passenger side front door pocket was a Luger Hi-Point 9mm pistol with a chambered round and magazine containing ten (10) live rounds of ammunition. Also located was several grams of Crack Cocaine.

Investigation will continue the investigation to identify the operator of the vehicle.

Both Rose and Canidate are convicted felons with extensive criminal histories.

Rose was convicted of Murder, Robbery and Kidnapping in 2001.

Canidate is a career criminal with 35 previous arrest (just in Hartford) dating back to 1993, with numerous Narcotics and Firearms related convictions.

Arrest #1: Shermane Rose, 34, of 21-23 Capen Street, Hartford CT.

Charges: Weapon in M/V, Criminal Possession of a Firearm and Possession / PWITS Narcotic charges.

Arrest #2:James Canidate, 37, of 4 Cornell Street, Hartford CT. (35 Previous Arrests)

Charges: Weapon in M/V, Criminal Possession of a Firearm and Possession / PWITS Narcotic charges.

Vehicle; 2014 Dodge Mini Van color blue, NY Reg GJB2881 (Enterprise Rental).

Shermane Rose

SOMEONE HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO

34 Pembroke Photo

It is never a good thing to lose  $160,000 of your bosses money. Especially when that boss may allegedly be a drug dealer.

Hartford Police along with other agencies served a search warrant at a home  at 34 Pembroke Street in Hartford Friday evening. During that search Police recovered a Colt .38 Special firearm, ammunition, approximately 15 grams of crack cocaine, drug packaging materials and $164,700 in U.S. Currency.

The target of the investigation, a convicted felon,  Michael Fairnot DOB 4/17/57 34 Pembroke Street Hartford, CT. He was charged with  Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Possession Narcotics, PWITS Narcotics, PWITS within 1500 feet of a School, Operating a Drug Factory   ( PWITS= Possesssion with intent to sell)

It is difficult to lose $160,000, but I would guess that right about now, jail might be the safest place for Mr. Fairnot to be when his boss comes looking for his money

CAN YOU PUT A PRICE ON POSITIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS ?

A crowd gathers around Daley and Hartford Police Mounted Officer Flynn

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the "luxury" of the Hartford Mounted Police Unit. Today I was at the last day of skating at the Winterfest Ice Rink in Bushnell Park.  I was watching as Mayor Segarra arrived at the rink. There wasn't even much notice by most in attendance, a few people approached him for the obligatory hellos and handshakes.

A child petting the nose of Cody in Bushnell Park

A short time later, two horses and officers from the mounted unit arrived. Immediately many in the crowd migrated to the sidewalk where the horses were standing. Both children and adults began petting the horses and talking to the police officers sitting high above the crowd . The rapid fire questions to the officers were interesting for a few reasons. has the horse ever caught a criminal? Yes we chased down a robbery suspect on Albany Avenue. Where do the horses live? We have a great stable on Albany Ave with a large paddock area for them to exercise. Do you ride them here? No today we trailered them here.

A man and his horse. Hartford Police Chief James Rovella nnd Daley discussing the HPD Budget

It dawned on me as I listened that this may be the first interaction for most of these children and maybe even adults with a Police Officer. How do you put a price on the value of that contact? I have never seen anyone approach an officer in a cruiser as quickly as they did to an officer on horseback. Hopefully that will be an image the people will remember for years and realize that police officers are actually pretty decent people and not something to be feared.

How can any Councilperson or budgetary wonk put a price on that. The mounted police may be a luxury but a luxury we need and a luxury we need to find a way to afford. I didn't see anyone approaching the Mayor's scheduler to pet his nose as he accompanied  Segarra on the ice. Now there is a luxury we can't afford..