HPD CAUGHT WITH THEIR PANTS DOWN

And no, that title has nothing to do with the former Commander of the Hartford Police Academy.(Although it could)

No this posting is more about the incompetence that allowed HPD and the Hartford Police Headquarters to be plunged into darkness and a crisis situation last night. Now you would think that a Deputy Police Chief charged with the maintenance and operation of police headquarters would likely maintain a checklist for critical items,

 1. Emergency generator tested and operational, check yes or no, if no schedule emergency maintenance
2. Uninterruptable power supply for radio system, tested and operational- check yes or no. if no schedule immediate service before radio system crashes during a power outage

I could go on and on, but that is why we pay Deputy Chiefs very large salaries to manage the PD. Any DC could probably call the smallest police department in the state and ask them to email their  checklist and put it on City letterhead and it would most likely be much better than what HPD currently has in place by the looks of it.

Last night, disaster was averted in Hartford, but not because of any pre-planning or preparation. More likely we got lucky.

Due to a power outage last night because of several transformer failures by Eversource equipment, HPD's headquarters was plunged into darkness when the backup generator failed or provided very  limited power to the Complex. The outage affected both telephone and radio operations and eventually, dispatchers were transported to East Hartford PD with portable radios to answer 911 calls that were diverted to our neighbor over the river. The dispatchers also carried with them a large amount of paper pads to keep  track of what they were doing.

No case numbers or routine information could be provided to officers in the field until about 1PM this afternoon when the systems began coming back on line. Officers couldn't complete any reports as all of the computers at Headquarters were down.

According to one source at HPD, the generator may have been restricted to limited power by a vendor over unpaid bills. I will work on that Monday with  an FOI request, but considering the City's financial situation and chronic mismanagement, it sounds reasonable, and I know the emergency generator has worked in the past.

Maybe it is time for someone to break out their City credit  card and pay the bill before the power goes down again

I also have to wonder where  was HPD's nearly million dollar command post that sits idle and rusting in the parking lot except for the one or two days a year it is currently used, Maybe the same Deputy  Chief responsible for testing the generator should also loosen the grip on the keys to the Command Post and train a few more people how to start and set it up in case of an emergency.  ..

According to HPD sources, numerous other problems arose during the failure. The access control system to unlock the entry doors into the building failed , and officers  were instructed to come to the front lobby as those were the only doors they were able to unlock. But apparently locks on some other doors didn't have the same issue. Sources advised me that when the systems failed, all of the doors on the jail cells in booking did unlock immediately . Now how could that be a problem, they are only jail cells Hopefully whoever designed that system doesn't do any work in our prisons.

But then again it was a slow night in booking sine officers were advised to avoid making any arrests since the cameras and fingerprint scanners and booking computers wren;t working. I guess no one could find the ink pad and print cards and roll the fingerprints the old fashioned way. Modern technology.

But to be fair, the Deputy Chief who should have been  supervising the systems that crashed last night, apparently is caught up in the investigation of the former Academy Commander, so he has his hands full. With failures like this , Acredidation seems like a long shot .

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

This past week on the blog and on Facebook has been very active and a lot has been said about HPD and claims made against specific officers, some good and some bad.

Specifically, people have made comments regarding on retired officer in particular, Sergeant Sean Spell.

One comment said that Spell had 15 citizen complaints made against him. The local media has also made the same claims, but apparently no one went any further to actually look  at the complaints or God forbid, actually explain them.  I guess explanations don't make headlines and sell papers.

You never hear anyone saying that if a Police Officer doesn't have citizen complaints, they probably aren't doing their job very well. Well, let me say it. Any Police Officer that doesn't occasionally have a complaint filed against them isn't doing their job.

Let's put this into perspective. Typically most  contact we have with a police officer doesn't usually evolve into a warm and fuzzy encounter. It may be after an accident, and I don't know anyone that is in a great mood after an accident (especially if you had to wait a couple hours for an Officer to be dispatched. Not their fault, but they get the blame) Or maybe you got a traffic ticket or a parking ticket. Now we all know how we drive, and of course we could never be wrong, the Cop must be overreaching or trying to fill some nonexistent quota.

You hardly ever get pulled over by a cop wanting to give you a coupon to Starbucks for exceptional driving. I think you get my point, it does happen, but most people don't have raving reviews of their Police interaction, so citizen complaints are part of the job. Every complaint is entertained and investigated, no matter how serious or ridiculous, they get the same response.

 So I decided to ask the questions and see how serious those 15 complaints were. So here you go; I am not putting the complainants names though

#1- HPD IAD #200-44 Profane language used by Officer Spell on Barbour Street
                          COMPLAINT WITHDRAWN BY COMPLAINANT

#2- HPD IAD #2006-101- alleged excessive force used at Substation
                           NOT SUSTAINED AFTER INVESTIGATION

#3- HPD IAD #2007-050 Bondsman loitering at HPD, verbal for procedure, no Field Interview Card submitted
                            COMPLAINT NOT SUSTAINED AFTER INVESTIGATION

#4- HPD IAD #2007-050 Wrecker driver claimed discourteous attitude
WITNESSES PRESENT DID NOT CORROBORATE WRECKER  DRIVERS  VERSION
                        COMPLAINT NOT SUSTAINED AFTER INVESTIGATION

#5-HPD IAD #2007-118 Off Duty Altercation
  Complaint Sustained-
                             30 Day Suspension for Conduct Unbecoming an Officer

#6- HPD IAD #2007-139- Harassment complaint
                            EXONERATED AFTER INVESTIGATION

#7-HPD IAD #2008-026 Complaint made by Wethersfield resident who saw Spell leave his personal car idleing in a parking lot while off duty
                                         NO ACTION TAKEN BY HPD

#8-HPD IAD# 2008-048 Complaint against Spell and another Officer after a prisoner attempted to escape from a substation  after a firearms arrest.
                            COMPLAINT NOT SUSTAINED- EXONERATED

#9- HPD IAD #2008-069- Complaint made against numerous officers at 23 Martin Street after incident.
       NO SPECIFIC COMPLAINT IMPLICATING SPELL, BUT  STILL PLACED IN                                                   HIS   FILE

#10- HPD IAD 2008-103  Spell was the supervisor, complaint made against an officer he was supervising

#11  HPD IAD# 2008-161- Citizen approached Spell to report her purse lost, while Spell and other officers were breaking up a melee at Club 960 on Main Street on Christmas then a vehicle being pursued crashed in the same are and complainant felt she wasn't getting proper service during the chaos
                     EXONERATED AFTER INVESTIGATION

#12-  HPD IAD#  2012-073- Stolen car recovered, complainant apparently claimed money was missing from the center console when the vehicle was recovered. Since she knew the thief that took the car, she complained that it had to be Spell and the Chief Inspector from the States Attorney's Office who were responsible.
   COMPLAINT WITHDRAWN AFTER COMPLAINANT "FOUND " THE MISSING MONEY

#13-  HPD IAD#2012-083- Complaint made against 2 Officer's Spell was supervising

#14- HPD IAD #2014-006- Force complaint made after arrest of subject high on PCP
                                     NOT SUSTAINED

#15- HPD IAD #2014-100- Complaint made claiming Spell interfered with a civilian photographer at a Homicide scene on Park Street
                                       
#16-  HPD IAD #2015-074 Complaint made against  Spell and CSP Trooper after arrest of individual who kicked an HPD vehicle during West Indian event
                          EXONERATED BY HPD IAD CIVILIAN INVESTIGATOR

So there is the list, and it is actually 16, not 15. Only one incident concerns me, and Sgt. Spell paid for that error with a 30 day suspension.

Sean Spell is one of many officers that earned every penny they made keeping our City safe and our officers are human beings, and yes occasionally human beings make mistakes. But not everything is as it appears to be made out to be.

The research might take a while to complete, but it is part of being fair.

.








                        

THE HPD POLICE UNION RESPONDS TO NEGATIVE REMARKS BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE GONZALEZ

FROM :Sgt. John Szewczyk

President, Hartford Police Union

June 9, 2017

This statement is a formal response to the negative comments made against members of the Hartford Police Department by State Representative Minnie Gonzalez on the floor of the House Representatives at the State Capitol on June 5, 2017.

I would like to start by recognizing the amazing work done by the hardworking members of the Hartford Police Department.  Every day the men and women of the Hartford Police Department serve our capital city with honor and distinction. Despite this fact, Representative Gonzalez made a conscious decision to publicly ridicule, demean, and resort to nasty name calling on the floor of the CT State House of Representatives by referring to Hartford Police Officers as “cowboys who shoot young kids”.  She also made totally false and inaccurate statements such as Hartford Police Officers receive paid lunches and dinners.

Members of the Hartford Police Department have positive and meaningful relationships with the community.  Representative Gonzalez has attempted to drive a wedge between the members of the Hartford Police Department and the residents of Hartford.  However, she cannot and will not break our bond and loyalty to the community we serve. We will continue to build these positive relationships with the residents of Hartford regardless of her actions.  

I would also like to recognize the families of the Hartford Police Officers who provide tremendous support to their loved ones. These family members are the true backbone of support for our police officers.  They are forced to endure the good and the bad that our officers experience on a daily basis and yet continue to provide the support we need.

Thank you to the many members of the public who have reached out to me and other members of our police department offering their support and praise for our work.  This includes numerous state and local elected officials, from both sides of the political aisle, and most importantly numerous residents of Hartford, including those in the 3 ^rd  District that Representative Gonzalez represents.  They have all been thoroughly supportive and have either contacted me personally or made public comments through social media denouncing Representative Gonzalez’s unprofessional and undignified actions.

Lastly, I would like to offer Representative Gonzalez the opportunity to spend time with the amazing men and women of the Hartford Police Department.  Whether you visit the police station, speak with officers in the community, or participate in a ride-along, spending time with our officers may help you understand and recognize first-hand the positive relationships that our officers have with the community. 

"OFFER UP" ROBBERY SUSPECT CAPTURED

On March 11, 2017, at approximately 7:01pm, HPD patrol officers responded to the area of 2621 Main Street in response to a report of an armed robbery and carjacking. The victim reported that he had arranged to meet with an unknown individual to purchase an i-Phone solicited on the on-line internet site "Offer Up.".

 The victim was approached by three suspects, one of which produced a firearm. The armed suspect struck the victim with the firearm and took possession of various personal items, money, and the victims vehicle. The victim received emergency medical care on scene for a head injury. Further investigation of the incident was later assigned to Major Crimes Division Detectives. HPD Detectives were able to develop probable cause to charge a suspect, Raekwon Gaines, in connection to the incident.

 An arrest warrant was drafted, and later approved by a Superior Court Judge, charging Gaines with Robbery 1st Degree, Conspiracy Robbery 1st Degree, Larceny 2nd Degree, Conspiracy Larceny 2nd Degree, and Conspiracy Larceny 3rd Degree. Members of the HPD/U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force began actively investigating and attempting to locate Raekwon Gaines.

 On June 7, 2017, intelligence was received that Gaines was present at 17 Barbour Street, Hartford, CT. A surveillance operation was conducted by HPD Detectives and USDM Perreault that subsequently led to the safe apprehension of Gaines without injury or incident. Raekwon Gaines was transported to the Major Crimes Division for debrief then booked and processed for the aforementioned charges.

Gaines is currently being held on a $500,000 bond. Arrested: Raekwon Gaines (dob 5/24/96) of 17 Barbour Street, Hartford, CT Charges: Robbery 1st Degree, Conspiracy Robbery 1st Degree, Larceny 2nd Degree, Conspiracy Larceny 2nd Degree, and Conspiracy Larceny 3rd Degree These on-line transactions like “Offer-Up” and “Craigslist” continue to be a problem for HPD.

 Please, if you are using one of these sites for a transaction, conduct the transaction in the safe HPD parking lot.

A HPD OFFICER'S WIFE SPEAKS OUT OVER REPRESENTATIVE GONZALEZ REMARKS

I received this e-mail today from the wife of a Hartford Police Officer, condemning the ignorant remarks of Hartford's 3rd District State Representative Minnie Gonzalez. Gonzalez made her remarks before the Legislature's General Assembly regarding a Police Accountability bill.

This e-mail lays out the facts quite clearly. Just for the record, the officer's wife did identify herself by name in the e-mail. I chose not to identify her since I haven't spoke with her

I am the proud wife of a Hartford Police Officer and Air Force Veteran. The men and women of the Hartford Police Department are some of the finest people I know, and have more integrity than you could ever wish to  have. They serve their communities with pride, dedication, and distinction. These officers put their lives on the line every single day, for little pay, little recognition, and with very little support from elected politicians. These men and women go into their neighborhoods every day truly trying to make a difference, something you know nothing about.

The comments made by you on June 5, 2017 in defense of bill HB6663 were appalling, ignorant, and unnecessary. while you stated that you support the HPD and its officers, your statements were a direct contradiction to that. Let me address them one by one.

You stated that the officers were cowboys with guns, and bats. I'm not sure I have ever seen them wear cowboy hats or boots to work, I have seen officers on horseback, however they were not herding cattle. I have seen my husband come home with blood on his boots and tears in his eyes as he has faced some of the most horrific acts humans can do to one another. I've watched him on phone calls with other officers, consoling them as they attempted to come to terms with the suicide call, or child abuse case, or the senseless murders that occur all too frequently.

You stated that there are good and bad cops, you are correct. There are far more good ones than bad, which is more than I can say for politicians. The vast majority of police officers joined the force to do good, to make a change, and to be positive influences in their communities.

You stated that HPD officers have good pay, good benefits, and a good pension. What you fail to mention is that their good pay comes from countless hours of overtime, or road jobs (which are not paid for by the city, and the city actually makes money off of,) you fail to mention the missed birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and special occasions they have missed in order to protect your ignorance. From my understanding, you get paid a hefty stipend for being an elected official, receive benefits, and will receive a pension.

You stated that "you" pay for the officers lunch and dinner. I'm not sure how you determined that, as I send my husband with his meals daily, while he works his 16 hour shifts. He frequently comes home with his meals still in his bag, as they do not get a lunch break, and is often lucky if he can even get a bite in between calls.

You stated that these "cowboys" are killing young kids in our community with no consequences, and this abuse needs to stop. Since 2005 there have been 20 Officer Involved Shootings according to HPD data. That's one shooting every 219 days by an officer. Considering the amount of public interaction, and the calls for service this equates to a less than 1% chance of being shot by a police officer in Hartford. The last time a person was killed by a police officer in Hartford was in 2013, a whole 4 years ago, and it was entirely justified. Again, your ignorance is glaring, and your abuse of police officers needs to be stopped.

You stated that you pass laws frequently to protect, and train police officers. The training is mandated by the State of CT, and you have done nothing to indemnify, or protect officers of your community. In fact, based on your history, I am not even sure how you can remain in office. Your family has been called a "crime syndicate." You have been found guilty of elections violations, you have the "Minnie Gonzalez Little League", which receives over $75,000 a year in tax payer money, and is managed by your husband. In fact it seems as if you have a significant conflict of interest in presenting or debating any type of law enforcement bill, as taking power away from the police directly benefits you and your family.

It is very easy to sit in your safe office and make ignorant, untrue statements towards our officers. They need your support not your condemnation. You lack integrity, honesty, and decency. You should take a ride along with a Hartford Police Officer on a Saturday night during the summer, and see what they are exposed to. Have you ever taken simulation training?  I'm sure you would not make accurate split second decisions that you expect from our officers. You truly should be ashamed of your statements against HPD and in fact should issue a very public apology for condemning them in the way you did.

Here is the link to your inaccurate, cowardly statements, to refresh your memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKk-_vY5Hbo&feature=youtu.be

A DOSE OF REALITY ***WARNING - VERY EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AND CONTENT

I remember years ago there was a bumper sticker "WHO NEEDS POLICE?...EVERYONE"

I don't think  that could ever be truer than it is today, but we seem to be losing sight of that.

Yesterday, Connecticut's House of Representatives debated a bill aimed at Police Brutality.

 Abusive officers can not be tolerated,and theHartford Police has done a pretty good job of dealing with the issue  but Representative Gonzalez of Hartford seemed to paint Law Enforcement Officers with a pretty wide brush yesterday. Gonzalez also seemed to not have a problem with incorrect information during her rant. Despite her comments, Hartford Police Officers do not get free meals or get their meals paid for as part of their lucrative benefits. And they don't carry "bats".

The Connecticut State Police do get a meal allowance, but that is as a result of a Collective Bargaining agreement approved by the same Legislative body that Representative Gonzalez is a member of.

 Although Gonzalez portrays the men and women of Law Enforcement as "Cowboys" with "Bats and Guns".  ( I think she probably meant badges and guns, but I'm sure for her performance, cops with bats probably fit her image better)

The other three videos below are just an example of what Police Officers in Hartford and across our Country face every day as they work to protect us.

The officers in these videos exhibit great restraint and professionalism as they deal with unruly parties. Listen to the anguish in the officers voice as he tries to talk a gunman down before he had to shoot him to protect his and others lives. Watch the Philadelphia Officer as he puts up with the rant and behavior of a drunk or impaired TV reporter. I doubt many of us mere mortals could show the restraint  this officer did. At the very least she should have received a face full of pepper spray or a Taser dart .

The last video has some pretty poor police tactics as a suspect pulls a gun from his waistband and opens fire on the officers , as they talked to him the entire time before the shooting and treated him with respect. I think it shows the human side and how bad things can go bad with our officers. There clearly is only instinct and survival mode as these incidents unwrap very quickly.

And yes, they are still humans doing a tough job.

This type of behavior is more the rule than the exception.

 Representative Gonzalez and her fellow critics need to get out of the confines of their Sanctuary at the Capitol and get in touch with what goes on on our streets.

SUPPORT THE PARIS ACCORD BY BURNING MORE ENERGY, MAKES SENSE TO ME

Maybe we should think about replacing dead trees on City property to show we support green energy and a cleaner environment. But no, instead we are going to burn electricity all night to bathe City Hall in a sea of green protest. (or support as Mayor Bronin calls it)

I wonder if anyone ever considered  bathing City Hall in pink out of respect for the Komen Race for the Cure to support the efforts to raise funds to combat breast cancer and support research being held in Hartford this weekend.

That probably isn't enough of a political statement for the administration ''

Bronin Press Release:

HARTFORD CITY HALL TO BE LIT GREEN IN SUPPORT OF PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT

HARTFORD, CONN (June 2, 2017) –   At the direction of Mayor Luke Bronin, Hartford City Hall will be lit green tonight to signal Connecticut’s opposition to the federal government’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, and to underline Hartford’s significant efforts to conserve energy, increase the number of green jobs, and support the quality of neighborhood life for residents.  Earlier today, Governor Malloy added Connecticut to a coalition of states committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement.

“The decision to abandon the Paris Climate Agreement is an unforgivable surrender of American leadership on one of the most important issues of our time,” said Mayor Bronin.  “In virtually every other country in the world, the debate is about how to confront climate change responsibly – not the absurd idea that it’s a ‘hoax’ created by China.  Not only do we have a moral responsibility to reduce carbon emissions, we should also be seizing the opportunity to build a robust green jobs economy by investing clean energy.”

The Mayor continued, saying, “I’m proud to join with cities and states around the country to commit to filling the void on environmental responsibility that this decision leaves.  In Hartford, we are on the path to reduce our energy consumption by 20% by 2018 with the dedicated work of City employees and leadership of our Climate Stewardship Council.”   

As a signatory of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, Hartford has committed to both reducing overall energy consumption by 20% and increasing renewable energy use by 20% across its City operations by next year.  Significant progress has been made towards that goal through building energy retrofits, the recent launch of a cutting-edge fuel cell microgrid in the Parkville neighborhood that will reduce carbon emissions by 40% in connected buildings, the solar array at the landfill in North Meadows, the streetlight overhaul across the City, and a number of other smaller renewable energy projects.

To achieve the 20% reduction goal, the 30-member Climate Stewardship Council, which includes stakeholders from a cross-section of nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies, will finalize the community’s Climate Action Plan and chart the path towards further emissions reductions.  The City recently hired a 100% grant-funded Sustainability Coordinator to assist in those efforts.

TIME TO ASK FOR OUR MONEY BACK

The front desk at HPD , known as Teleserve, is supposed to be a secure area surrounded by bullet proof ballistic glass.

That bullet proof ballistic glass was put to the test on May 27,2017 by a 40 year old female who  attacked the window with a "rusted bike pedal" shattering the $2300.00  glass.

Hopefully the glass will prove more durable if it is ever challenged by an actual bullet instead of the rusty bike pedal. Maybe the next Legislative session can ban the possession of rusty bike pedals without a permit, opening another revenue stream for our cash  strapped State.

WILL CONNECTICUT'S COMPTROLLER STEP UP?

The State of Connecticut is at a budget stalemate, unable to pass a State budget before their adjournment next week. That stalemate will most likely require additional money for a special Legislative session(s), adding to the State's deficit.

The State of California had a similar dilemma a few years ago. The California Comptroller came up with a simple solution. No California Legislator would receive a paycheck until a budget  was in place.

California's budget crisis was quickly solved and a budget was passed promptly,

 Maybe Connecticut should try that.

Here is an example of why our government budgets are a mess.
http://www.yankeeinstitute.org/2017/06/state-representative-from-near-bankrupt-hartford-draws-teachers-salary-while-working-full-time-for-union/