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Wednesday, July 19, 2017

LUKE BRONIN'S DANGEROUS GAME OF RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH PUBLIC SAFETY IN HARTFORD

 
BRONIN FOR MAYOR- WERE WE PLAYED FOR FOOLS?
 
 
If you are going to run a campaign criticizing the previous Mayor for his lack of efforts related to Public Safety and promise to support Police and Fire efforts in hiring and be strong on Public Safety, then DAMN IT come through on what you promised.

Does anyone else remember Luke Bronin's publicized visits to homicide and shooting victims with the media following him during campaign season. Where are those visits now, or do crime victims only matter when you are running for votes claiming you are going to be tough on crime? Have I missed Bronin's visits to any of Hartford's 15 homicide victims families this year or even the numerous shooting victims, or maybe he is just not taking the media like he did at campaign time.

I think leaders can be measured by their character and actions AFTER they get elected, not before hand when they are busy conning the voters and busy buying their votes.

 I know, I know, how naive can I be. It is all part of the political game, say whatever you have to say to get elected and once you win you can forget everything you promised until the next election cycle.

Well, it is time we start paying attention to facts and not political rhetoric.

The fact is that both the Hartford Police and Fire Departments are in worse shape now that they were the day Luke Bronin took office.

Another fact is that Hartford is becoming more violent by the day. A 63 year old man , Jeff Worrell was  murdered this past Sunday. His gray matter splattered on a picnic table on Westland Street as he was enjoying a Sunday afternoon in a park. Shot in the head most likely by an 18 year old thug with a gun in his hand. Most likely a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time for Jeff Worrell, which makes it even more disgusting.

This most likely wasn't a case of a drug deal gone bad or some gang activity, instead it was most likely an 18 year old thug trying to prove how tough he was by being able to pull a trigger on an illegal handgun in his possession. He just happened to not be able to aim and hit the wrong person. Not the person that threw the bottle at his car that he was trying to hit, but instead  his bullet shattered the skull and spattered the brains of a 63 year old man enjoying a peaceful Sunday.

Much of that can be attributed to the growing lawlessness in Hartford.

Lawlessness that has so many root causes, but the lack of Police Officers on our streets is a big part of it. Despite Luke Bronin's campaign promises, we have probably seen 12 new police officers hired and hitting Hartford's Streets during the Bronin Administration. Another class of 14 is in the Academy now, but that is a far cry from the almost 150 officers the City is short. Add to that the lack of a police contract and the lack of support from City Hall for our police officers and I think you get the picture.  Those numbers have not provided any net gain for HPD as the attrition due to retirements and Officers leaving for other Departments has far outweighed any additional replacements.

There isn't a lot of pro-active policing going on under the Bronin "leadership" and neither is there a lot of spare time for it in a Police Department that is spread dangerously thin, and the same goes for the fire department also. Excessive fatigue is a potential recipe for disaster in both agencies.

Numerous "Shotspotter" activations  indicating actual gunshots are a regular and numerous daily occurrence in Hartford.

Yesterday, apparently 6 juveniles joy riding in a stolen SUV, mowed down a couple of pedestrians on Sigourney Street. According to a PD source, one of the victims had a leg amputated by the vehicle after it struck her. In a move that makes you wonder what values young people are being raised with, a young man was more intent on recording the severed leg and posting it to facebook than rendering any assistance to the victims laying on the sidewalk before EMS arrived

The class of 40 Fire recruits that was supposed to start in May actually started last Monday, but that is still a drop in the bucket to the numbers that are needed to restore HFD to the levels it needs to properly function without endangering other firefighters from fatigue. At last count, HFD is roughly 120 firefighters short. And a class of another 70 is needed to attain basic numbers. The City is waiting for approval on a Federal Grant to hire another 70, but there is no guarantee that will happen.

The Hartford Police Department is in a similar, if not worse, situation. The exact number varies depending on who you talk to, bust most estimates are that HPD is close to 150 officers short. Since Bronin has taken office, one Academy class of 14 officers has graduated and another class of 14 is currently in the Academy. Those numbers have not provided any net gain for HPD as the attrition due to retirements and Officers leaving for other Departments has far outweighed any additional replacements.

This attrition has resulted in fewer Community Service Officer's on the streets, the elimination of the pro-active Condition's Units, and overall a general reduction of Police presence on the streets of Hartford. Hartford's Animal Control Officers have also faced the axe due to budget cuts by Mayor Bronin.

Every day these conditions exist, Hartford Police Officers and Firefighters  face an increased risk of harm in their positions and the people of Hartford also face increased risks  by Bronin's false election promises.

It is time the Mayor is held accountable for statements he used and made to get elected.

According to Bronin's election website:   "Whether it’s the Department of Public Works, the Finance Department, or the Fire Department, we can’t try to ignore or hide our challenges or our weaknesses. We need to get under the hood, shine a light on the problems, and fix what’s broken.". I am not sure Luke has even been able to find the latch to open the hood yet because he hasn't done much to fix the problems.

It still seems to be "the sky is falling" mantra. Give me what I want or I'll declare Bankruptcy is what we keep hearing, but I haven't seen much done yet to change or fix Hartford's structural challenges. After almost two years into the Bronin Administration, the whining is wearing thin. Luke , you were elected to do a job, not put on your big boy pants and  do it.

In your first "State of the City" address in 2016, you stated "

"In years past, we might have hoped for relief from the State of Connecticut. Today, the State of Connecticut faces its own crisis, and the best we can probably hope for is to avoid getting cut.
 
We can’t expect any bailouts from the State."
 
Yet this year you further indebted the City of Hartford by borrowing millions of dollars based on a promise from a Legislator that money was coming from the State. That promise was never fulfilled  and it doesn't look like it will be any time soon and quite frankly, I think Legislators are tired of your stunts at the Capitol and I still have the text messages on my phone to prove it ( but no one is ever going to see those because I understand confidentiality).
 
So again Luke, I have to ask you, "What is your plan?"
 
And running around threatening bankruptcy and yelling the sky is falling, is not a plan, if it were , we would have the $ 50 million dollar payments coming in that the large corporations promised when you come up with a viable plan for sustainability.
 
 Forget your future political aspirations and start doing the job you were elected to do for the people of Hartford, it probably won't move you up the political ladder as you had hoped, but it is what you promised. And I am sure as your parents tried to raise you right, you were told "your word is your bond " and "integrity matters". So now live up to it and stop being a politician.
 
Lives depend on it
Two more people were the most recent innocent victims of Hartford's senseless violence and lawlessness. I believe that yellow plastic in the foreground is covering the severed leg of one of the victims. The same body parts that a young man was recording to post on Facebook, before EMS covered it.

 
 

24 comments:

The only one to wheelie an FLTP... said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Dynamic Duo said...

Foley is completely drunk on that "kool aid".
Bronin may go down in history as the worst mayor to match Malloy going down as the worst governor.

The only one to wheelie an FLHTP said...

Kevin you hit the nail on the head. Initially I thought you had consumed some of the Bronin "kool aid" along with the north end....but now you see that everyone who pulled the Bronin lever in the voting booth was sold an empty promise. Keep the citizens informed Kev, show them what a self centered, lying little man he is. Keep up the good work.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

you need to be careful of those wheelies, those Florida Sheriffs Departments aren't as easy going as us Northerners. And I have the video to prove your claim. Stay safe and enjoy your retirement my friend.You and the rest of the 100,000 plus club earned it and deserve every penny of it. (And please keep your friend out of the Sigourney splash pad)

Sam the clam said...

I just worked a pj and had a conversation with another officer about the loss of sgt B ( mr olympia 2018 ) surgical and logical supervisors are geting thinner and thinner in the hpd vending machine. Sad to loose a good dude. But florida needs pension collecting bodybuilders also so i will wish him and be jelous of that freakin mansion!!!!

Anonymous said...

Mr. Brookman it is not just Hartford that is experiencing this rash of lawlessness. These animals have extended their criminal activites to surrounding towns. The lack of proactive policing have emboldened them. They know they can outrun surrounding town pd's and return safely to Hartford because there will be no one there to catch them. Look at the recent rash of car thefts, breakins and robberies in Newington, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Glastonbury. It's disgusting.

Go get those 68s 420 benton boyz said...

The mayor is a joke. The city is a joke. HPD command staff is clueless. Lets get tough on crime. Ha yea right. Let the bodies hit the floor is more like it. HPD is doing nothing to prevent these stolen cars / shootings. No proactive work is being done at all. The only thing being done is waiting on a hit plate from a LPR and then hoping these idiots pull over. No more pursuits and no more admin / supervisors that want to be cops. Foley is a great example. Mr. PR the puppetmaster. Just spewing out the bs to the media to pretend HPD has a grasp on the problem. The city is litterally the wild wild west. Ask any patrolman if they care. A big fat no. No more incentive knowing bukshot and the little man dont and wont have a patrolmans back. Ill stick to working my 4 pjs a week and hiding for my 8 hrs shift. This is what buckshot and the mayor wanted and this is what they are getting. By years end the body count will be in the high 20s if not 30s.

DonnaSwarr said...

I don't know of any park there, maybe there is grass or a green area... It throws me off when I am trying to read the article. It is a sad state of affairs - raising the issue is important.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

sam,

don't be jealous, be thankful that he is able to now enjoy his retirement. And for that florida "mansion", he earned every square foot of that home, including the in ground pool, through the blood , sweat and knowing JB probably a few tears also over the years , that calibre of supervisor is rapidly becoming extinct at HPD but there are a few good ones in the pipeline and a few others that no amount of PERF training can help. I just pray that every police officer can safely serve out their careers and have the benefit of receiving their pensions as our gratitude of a job WELL DONE and tapping that pension fund for many, many years to come. Keep the training wheels on for the wheelies though, and ask me to see the proof.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

4:48 PM

and therein lies the problem. I agree with very little of anything that Mayor Bronin says, and he does a terrible job of communicating his message, but for far too long our suburban neighbors have ignored what goes on in Hartford with the retort "oh that's Hartford, it doesn't affect us". Hartford is not an island and as goes Hartford , so goes the region. especially in relation to crime and violence.

Car thieves travel, burglars travel, drug dealers travel and bullets travel. there is no great wall protecting the suburbs or keeping crime in Hartford. Crime can move from anywhere in Hartford's worst neighborhoods to the finest neighborhoods in Avon or West Hartford in a matter of minutes, so no one is immune . We all need to be part of the solution

Anonymous said...

HPD and Bronan's only concern is keeping downtown safe, where barely anyone lives.
I go hours without seeing a single cruiser drive down Franklin Ave., yet drive down town and you'll notice a police presence, including bicycle cops, which you'll never see on Franklin Ave.
There's even a designated parking space for police cars on Front St. A street about 100 feet long where, again, nobody lives.
We used to have a beat cop on Franklin Ave who made a difference. Now we have total lawlessness, a nonexistent "quality" of life and a reactive PD.

Anonymous said...

Solution? Get rid of all the Dems to start. Between second chances, making felony drug possession misdemeanors, raising the juvenile age again and again, soft on crime approach, not supporting police and not encouraging pro-active policing.....this is the result. They've created an environment conducive to criminals. Great job.

Anonymous said...

Responsibility for HPD ultimately lands at 550 Main Street. But, has anyone heard from or seen Rovella in months? I think the public, press and most of the politicians have forgotten he is even Chief.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I'm seeing the results of the lack of staffing at HPD in the Dutch Point community. Drug dealers all over the place, and everyday white folks from the "burbs" coming in to buy drugs; daytime or night, it doesn't matter. I had an officer tell me that cops are pulling back and not going above and beyond their duties for fear of another "Ferguson." I just shook my head and told him that as a taxpayer I expect him and others to do their jobs, because I pay your salary. And in addition, what he said seemed like a cop out! Hartford, CT is no Ferguson......smh.

I can't see living here anymore because of the lack of staffing at HPD, less parental involvement, which creates a lot of the "thuggery" and total lack of respect in general. One more year and hopefully I'm out of here, heading south!

Florida resident 2025 said...

The REACTIVE switch has been on for quite a while. Zero productivity. 59s in a lot. Work dem pjs. Provide for my family in this liberal over taxed democratic state.

If you don't believe me check the bottom of the pipes said...

"Florida resident 2025" you are welcome here, the skies are blue with puffy clouds and the water is warm.

Anonymous said...

This is what the city and politicians have created. Nobody wants to be labeled cowboys for doing their job by being proactive. The cowboys made a difference. Now that the cowboys are gone, it's absolute lawlessness. Oh well, this is what you wanted, now you got it. Good luck.....glad I'm Deep South away from the lawlessness.

Anonymous said...

The criminals no longer fear hpd because they know we are pretty much banned from engaging in pursuits, zero community support as well as zero support from city hall and hence they feel emboldened. Go to vine & albany ave at 12 noon and just observe the brazen criminal activity that takes place at that corner.

Anonymous said...

I supported candidate Luke.I campaigned for candidate Luke. I voted for candidate Luke, all unconditionally
Then when I needed Mayor Luke he turned his back on me and left me hanging and I have not heard from him.

Anonymous said...

There was a small class of hpd cadates in progress in January when Luke was sworn into office. He had something to do with getting that class started. Then starts this current small class of 14. The previous mayor left us with a shortage of both police and fire officers. Then this mayor is allowing the police department to weed out good minority applicants that are also Hartford residents.

Anonymous said...

I have to make a correction.
On July 20,2017 at 1:56 am,I Anonymous said...

There was a small class of hpd cadates in progress in January when Luke was sworn into office. He had something to do with getting that class started. That was a typo error.

Luke had zero nonnething to do with the first class of 2017 getting started. He only happen to become mayor just before their graduation.
Luke is only attributed with one small, short, little class.

Anonymous said...

@1:56am

No one is weeding out anyone. CT POSTC and the Hartford Police Dept have minimum standards that everyone MUST meet. If you have domestic violence arrest(s), generally not paying your bills and have no valid excuse as to why you aren't, no HS diploma or GED, can't do a push up or walk a mile, associate with known criminals, too many traffic citations, and a felony arrest then you can't be a cop here. Unfortunately many Hartford residents fit into one or many of these categories. The Chief already lowered the fitness standards for Hartford residents, they get points added to their written exam, and local residents hiring process is generally non competitive unlike non residents. So they get many advantages unlike non residents who are pretty much busting their butts to get on and if a local applicant can't make the cut even when the game has been rigged for him/her i don't know what to say.

Anonymous said...

1:56am, no fear, all he ones you just spelled out are a shoe in at HFD. don't loose any sleep over them.

Anonymous said...

Police & fire pay taxes too you dope. Pay our salary. Smh. You're an idiot.