THEY JUST DON'T GET IT

 

Are those gloves protection from Rats?

Are we supposed to believe the statements of Mayor Luke Bronin and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody after the revelation of the "Dead Pool. They both seemed to indicate that the "Dead Pool" would be an opportunity to work on gaining the public's trust and change the culture at the Hartford Police Department.

Like the old adage goes, "actions speak louder than words". And the actions show that there is no intent on changing the culture . The "thin blue line" is alive and well to cover up Police misconduct. That was reinforced Friday by Assistant Chief Raphael Medina.

According to sources (Medina refers to them as rats) Medina held a meeting with HPD supervisors on Friday. Instead of using the meeting as an opportunity to reinforce the culture change with the Supervisors, Medina instead went into a tirade,  pacing in front of the room vowing that he will "go after the rats" and the "rats will be fired" .

Clearly business as usual in Medina's dinosaur way of Police /Community relations. So what is the tone Bronin promised to set or is Medina carrying out Thody's mission of keeping the cone of silence over Police misconduct. Are they really that out of touch to be encouraging more wrong doing like the dead pool?

Things will never change if the HPD Administration doesn't set the tone and threatening people that are fed up with wrongdoing, racism  and Police misconduct  is inexcusable. It is no wonder my sources call me if this is the response they get from their own Chief.

And I also have to ask why the Major Crimes Lieutenant was removed from his position the Major Crimes Commander because of his alleged poor judgement while he is under scrutiny for his actions. That same Lieutenant was allowed to work overtime last night in Patrol  as the midnight shift   Patrol Commander. So did his poor judgement exhibited  in failing to report and allegedly help organize the Dead Pool not effect his ability to properly supervise a Patrol shift?  

The administration of the Hartford Police Department is a mess and Medinas meeting clearly sends the wrong message to HPD Officers as to what is acceptable. Calling officers "rats" because they expose wrongdoing is obscene and maybe it is time for Medina to enjoy his State Police Pension and leave the supervision of Hartford Police officers to  clearer thinkers, professionals  who understand their role in a modern day Police Department. A Police Department that is serious in dealing with Police/Community relations. 

FROM HPD: THURSDAY NIGHT HOMICIDE

  On Thursday December 10, 2020, at approximately 2113 hours, patrol officers were dispatched to 138 Hollywood Avenue on the report of shots fired. Upon arrival an unresponsive gunshot victim was located. Officers provided immediate medical attention, however, the victim was pronounced deceased a short time later. The Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions responded and assumed control of the investigation.

 

   The deceased has been identified as Marc Anthony Glover DOB 09/17/1974, of 380 Park Avenue, Windsor, CT.

 

   Next of kin has been identified as Cheyrl Vann and Clinton Vann (Sister and father) of 1536 Corbin Avenue, New Britain CT 

TREADING WATER IN THE "DEAD POOL"

"WOULD I DO THAT?"

I want to have confidence in the Hartford Police Department and their Internal Investigations, but under Chief Thody, I am leery. The investigation into his evading accident showed he knows how to manipulate a cover-up. I would probably be taken more seriously saying I believe in Santa Claus.

The coverup began  last Friday about 1:40PM when Major Crimes Lieutenant Paul Cicero was tipped off that I would be posting the Dead Pool scandal shortly. Cicero quickly sent out an email "decrying" the dead pool in an effort to draw attention away from himself. Cicero has allegedly engaged in an effort to place blame on others for disclosing the  existence of the "Dead Pool" but he was probably one of the first to start to send the text message outside the Band of Merry MCD (white) men.

In what appears to be a huge conflict of interest and a lack of ethics, Cicero was then allowed by Chief Thody to  continue on for several days as the spokesperson for HPD, able to spin the story , even though Cicero was neck deep and eventually became a target of the Internal investigation.

On Monday, Chief Jason Thody apparently came to his senses and realized he needed to do something as the scandal began to gain national media attention. Thody finally did what he should have done immediately after the "Dead Pool" came to light. Thody removed Cicero as the Commander of Major crimes and relieved Cicero of his media spokesperson responsibilities.

It is unclear why Thody was so quick to demote Detective Jeff Placzek and issue a 120 day suspension but didn't immediately take any action against Cicero. Thody also seemed to telegraph his expected coverup when he claimed in his "Facebook" posting that Cicero's removal was "temporary". How could he state that unless he had already made up his mind before the Investigation was even completed that Cicero would be cleared,

Do you remember the Kelly Baerga incident? She was disciplined and apparently received a lengthy suspension for talking to the Media after her incident with Sergeant Rodney, but Lieutenant Cicero can talk to the Media and the New York Post regarding an incident that he quite possibly orchestrated.

Now the internal investigation is being  conducted by Captain Jeff Rousseau. Officers that I know and trust their integrity (no, that doesn't include Jason Thody), they tell me that Rousseau is a "by the book" type of guy. Keep in mind he does still answer to Thody, but I have hope in Rousseau's integrity, Unfortunately, as the old saying goes, "garbage in garbage out". From what I am being told, the garbage coming out of the former Major Crimes commander's office  is flowing faster than the Murphy Road trash plant and it probably stinks about as much as the pile there on a July afternoon.

The "thin blue wall of silence" is still is alive and well inside HPD and it will be Rousseau's job to bust through it if he is going to arrive at the truth and maintain the public trust that Thody is so concerned with or so he claims. Good officer's need to stand up and show some backbone if things are going to change for the better

Detective Placzek used poor judgement in sending the "Dead Pool" text. I don't think there is any question about that. But does anyone really think he would have sent that out on his own, including his own Lieutenant, apparently both of the Major Crimes Sergeants , almost two dozen other Detectives as well as a Prosecutor at the Hartford Court and an Inspector from the Court. Highly unlikely unless he felt his Lieutenant approved.

And according to sources, the Lieutenant allegedly  did approve. Prior to the text message being sent by Placzek, a meeting was held in the Major Crimes Division attended by Lieutenant Cicero, Sergeants Rykowski and Morrision as well as Major Crimes detectives. The "Dead Pool" was apparently discussed at that meting and the ground rules were established. Interestingly enough, for some unknown reason, only White detectives were at the meeting. The only African American detective and the three Hispanic detectives assigned to MCD were not in attendance. 

On Monday, I was made aware of a source that was willing to give me further details regarding the meeting. Wednesday that source backed out and apparently threats were made  that if anyone found out about the meeting and verified it happened that they would apparently suffer the same consequences as Detective Placzek  because they had prior knowledge. At least two other sources told me they were told to "lie" if anyone asked about the meeting, but they did claim that LT Cicero was allegedly involved in the planning process.

It was further related that a high ranking HPD source claims that on pressure from Mayor Bronin and Hartford City Council members, that Placzek's termination is coming.

 So much for the hypocritical Chief who skated after his alleged DUI evading accident this summer with no punishment but Placzek is hung out to dry. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.

PLUCKING THE LOW HANGING FRUIT

They say change is never easy, but in the case of the Hartford City Council they have chosen to take the easy way out. In a sharply worded statement Saturday, the Democratic Majority of the Hartford City Council have unanimously voted a former Hartford Police Major Crimes Detective as their scapegoat for the "Dead Pool" mess.

I think that just about everyone with a functioning set of eyes and ears  is capable of realizing that the Hartford Police Department under Chief Jason Thody is a mess and is getting worse daily.

Now the "Dead Pool" matter is bad and the Detective, who I doubt acted on his own, was wrong. I intentionally did not name the detective because I think he is just a minor player and the problem with the culture at HPD is much deeper than just one detective. I think the greater problem is the tone and culture that has been set by Thody, not just during his tenure as Chief, but well before that with his demotion for a drunken bar fight and even most recently with his evading  accident and the lies and coverup that ensued. over what many believe was a DUI incident.

Much of the responsibility, actually all of the responsibility lies with Hartford's Mayor and Washington bound hopeful Luke Bronin. He was warned by many that Thody was a bad fit to run and set the example for HPD, but for some unknown reason, Bronin went ahead and appointed Thody the permanent  Chief. Actually, in all honesty I think many of us know the reason for Thody's survival, and the answer sits across the hall from Bronin's Office.

Like I said at the beginning, the current problems at HPD run very deep.

Mayor Bronin and the Hartford City Council need to open their eyes and go after the real problems and their causes if HPD is going to be salvaged.

Here a couple issues I consider serious. 

Much has been said, and done related to  Minority recruitment to build the numbers at HPD to more reflect the make-up of the community. Under former Chief  James Rovella and also David Rosado, some of the most diverse classes of HPD recruits were hired and put on Hartford's streets. Recruitment without retention is senseless.. Under Thody's tenure those recruits as well as veteran officers are leaving HPD in droves. Many of the estimated 60 plus officers that have left the ranks this year are minorities and females. For veteran officers leaving to start at other Departments, especially . And at least another 50 are contemplating leaving and have requested their training records from the Academy.

It is highly unusual for Officer's to give up prime assignments, like the coveted Traffic Division slots, to leave for suburban towns and start over as the low person on the seniority list But then again we will probably never know the reason for the loss. None of the 60 plus Officer's have received an "Exit Interview", a basic management protocol that would give Thody and HPD and the City of Hartford a much better idea why officers were leaving. But not in Hartford.

There is also a large number of lawsuits coming down the pike, both State and Federal court suits.There seems to be a common thread in the suits, Defendants named AKA  Chief Jason Thody, Assistant Chief Rafael Medina and Lieutenant Paul Cicero. Coincidence or indicators of a greater problem? Since the Mayor and the City Council only want the easy route out, I doubt they really want to look at the problem and identify the reason because it will most likely also blow back on them

The Council was quick to put out their statement on a Saturday night claiming their disgust with a single detective. (the full text of that statement is below) Unless I missed it, I don't recall anything similar after Thody's alleged DUI evading accident. Again its easy to go after the low hanging fruit. Which incident do you think has done more damage to the public trust in HPD?

I doubt very much that there will be much of an investigation into the HPD problems because again, change is difficult  and no one in the Administration is willing to do the heavy lifting and the hard work to actually bring about real reform and accountability at HPD. It is much easier to organize the theatrics and pretend something is being done. 

And as far as the scapegoat, what he did was wrong and should be dealt with to set a tone of accountability, but I doubt he is the only one. Betting on human deaths is disgusting and I can't condone the "Dead Pool" but it is easy for me to post about things I think are improper. Luckily I have never had to deal with the stresses of a Major Crimes Detective. I have never had to stand in a front yard with wailing, sobbing relatives with their loved one laying on the front lawn with a bullet is his skull and his brain matter seeping out onto the sidewalk. And then that same detective has to attend the autopsy as part of their investigation. Watching what is left of the brain, cut out and removed  and weighed along with each internal organ.

This may have been a way for officers to "blow off steam" with some gallows humor, but in absence of a real EAP (employee assistance program) and an officer, or better yet a real counselor, assigned to deal with officer issues, they have to deal how they deal to keep their sanity. Maybe a real Chief who actually comes from the streets would understand that. And not just time out on the street after being hit with a demotion. All of us have had a stressful year dealing with our families and life under Covid. Add on the stresses of death and destruction Police Officers deal with everyday and it gets much worse

And Maybe a Major Crimes Lieutenant who according to sources, ran similar betting pools as far back as his time on the streets as a Conditions Officer might have been sending the wrong message. And unless the Hartford City Council wants to do some real heavy lifting and get to the bottom of the HPD problems ,we may never see change.

Low hanging fruit is easy to pick the real work is much more difficult.

 

Hartford City Council Democrats Find HPD Detectives “Dead Pool” Repugnant and Call for a Division Wide Investigation

Hartford Council Dems Extremely Disappointed by Callous Culture in HPD Major Crimes

Hartford, Connecticut— December 5, 2020 —   The recent discovery of an HPD Detective’s circulation a sporting pool dubbed a “Dead Pool” which solicited bets on the location of the first Hartford homicide of 2021 is the most recent validation of the Council Democrats long commitment to changing HPD culture.  Recently, the Democrats fashioned a budget which redirected police funding to community sensitivity training; significantly increased the independence and disciplinary powers of the Civilian Police Review Board and is in the process of authorizing the Police Accountability Review Board.  Each of these policies are designed to end the ingrained culture in some officers of superiority to the communities they serve.    

 

“As a longtime supporter of our police, I have to say that gambling on the life and death of Harford residents is not just a breach of this officers oath but a heinous breach of any possible trust and faith our community can and should have in HPD” said said Council President Maly Rosado.  She added “I am speaking to the Chair of the Civilian Police Review Board to ensure that a public and transparent investigation occurs totally independent of HPD.”

 

Council Majority Leader TJ Clarke stated “As we lose more and more young men of color to senseless violence, I cannot fathom the absolute moral void of this man.  He should be forced to go speak to the 22 mothers and fathers who have already lost loved ones to our City’s violence this year.  It’s time to get the Police Accountability Review Board up and running!” 

 

“I am appalled and in disbelief that some members of the HPD could have such cruel disregard of life.  While I support those in HPD that work hard to respectfully serve our city, this behavior undermines any attempts of community and police engagement and I will not support or tolerate anyone who is desensitized to senseless deaths in our community.” commented Councilmen James Sanchez adding that “I am also calling for a parallel investigation by the State’s Attorney’s Office since this despicable conduct has tarnished their office as well.”

 

“It’s sad but too believable that a man whose job it is to solve murders thought the first tragedy of 2021 should be something officers would bet on.  He has no understanding of the deep wounds caused to the families and community every time violent crime visits our streets.” said Councilperson Nick Lebron.

 

Marilyn Rossetti said “I am disturbed, disgusted and downright horrified by the Hartford Police text.  It should not be allowed, tolerated or condoned in any way.  I am prepared, along with my colleagues, to take action in response to this outrageous behavior.  Enough is enough.”

 

Longtime leader in the West Indian community Councilwomen Shirley Surgeon demanded “More accountability, more action, more discipline; that is what the HPD needs.  Enough is enough.  When a cop in charge of murders wants to bet on murders, I, for the first time, feel that this police department can’t be counted on to truly serve and protect the people who look like me.”

 

IS THODY WAKING UP FINALLY : DEAD POOL FALLOUT

A LEADER OR A FOLLOWER?

I posted earlier today about the HPD "Dead Pool" being run out of the Hartford Police Department's Major Crimes Division You can read that post here http://wethepeoplehartford.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-hartford-police-major-crimes-dead.html.

In typical fashion , Hartford Police Chief  Jason Thody was quick to react since he has never set the tone of accountability as a leader of the Department.  Thody claimed that he was angered over the "Dead Pool" text message and quickly reassigned the Detective who sent the post. In true Thody fashion it will probably end there since further action would draw attention to his incompetence as a Chief..

Why is the Major Crimes Lieutenant Paul Cicero  untouched and what about the two Major Crimes Sergeants? They were all apparently on the original text. Cicero apparently did nothing after the original text was sent and only after someone from the Hartford Court tipped him off around 1:15 PM today that I was posting the text , Cicero finally did something.

 There will most likely be some bogus attempt at a cover-up attempt as there was with altered documents after Thody's evading crash, but the time line will prove who knew what and when and furthermore , what did they do. A lapse of days is not acceptable for a supervisor who has an obligation to act promptly At roughly 1:40 PM Cicero sent an e-mail to his Major Crimes Detectives that the "Dead Pool" was unacceptable. Close tp 3 days  after the text was sent, Cicero apparently realized that it was time for some serious "CYA" before the matter blew up. Sorry, too late.

Cicero and his two Sergeants all had an obligation to act as supervisors. Failure to do anything should result in a charge of "Failure to Supervise" for all three.

Yes, the Detective who sent the original text was wrong, but so are Cicero and both of his Sergeants for apparently doing nothing. Fairness would, or should, dictate that everyone involved be removed from their positions, at least while an investigation is conducted.

It seems that it is very hypocritical for Thody to feign indignation when he has set the tone himself, especially after his evading accident where reports were falsified.

In Thody's e-mail to Department personnel after my posting earlier today Thody  states "Once trust between our department and our community is diminished, or lost, it is a vey long road t rebuild it"

A very true statement, but in reality, probably no HPD Officer has done more in the last year to diminish the Public's trust than Chief Jason Thody himself after his evading accident and coverup this past summer. Leaders lead by the example they set, not by sitting down and typing a hypocritical e-mail.

Much more to come on this, in the mean time Thody's e-mail is below where he admits to the facts in my earlier posting.

THE HARTFORD POLICE MAJOR CRIMES DEAD POOL

HPD DETECTIVES BETTING ON HOMICIDES IN HARTFORD

Wednesday I received a call about the existence of the "Dead Pool"at HPD in the Major Crimes Division. I am very rarely surprised by these calls as it relates to HPD , but this one astounded me with the sheer ignorance and audacity that someone would be ignorant enough to put the "Dead Pool" invite in writing and send it out by text .  Does the news of Police Accountability not reach those inside the walls of HPD? Are they tone deaf to the public sentiment, and don't they wonder how the news of HPD detectives betting on homicides in the City probably wont do anything to build the public perception of HPD in the community?

"You have been selected to participate (voluntary) in the Major Crimes Dead Pool." That is how a group text apparently sent out by a Hartford Police Major Crimes detective began. The text was sent to over twenty members of HPD ,including the Commander of the Major Crimes Division and HPD spokesperson , Lieutenant Paul Cicero and two Sergeants assigned to Major crimes. An Inspector and a Prosecutor from the Hartford County States Attorney's Office also received the invite, although it is unclear if they actually received it. 

At this time I am unaware if anyone responded to the text or if anyone moved to look into the matter or notify their supervisors of the invite. It seems to me , to be a huge conflict of interest as well as immoral to have detectives betting on Homicides that they will most likely be called to investigate

.

The full text of the invite reads as follows:

"You have been selected to participate (voluntary) in the Major Crimes Dead Pool.The pool consists of a $20 Dollar donation to receive a pin. Once one receives a pin, an address (number or intersection) will be submitted for the first homicide of 2021 Prior to selection, names will be chosen at random for the selection process. More than one pin can be purchased, locations can not be repeated. Final pin placements will be done one week prior to the end of the year. Last call by December 12th. You will only get a pin when payment is made.

Closest location wins. If an intersection is picked, please select a geographical corner. If one street is picked, a number is needed."

I think this behavior is just one more example of the lack of accountability and the result of the tone set by HPD's Chief Jason Thody and his documented poor behavior. It is difficult to hold Officers to a higher standard when the Chief doesn't hold himself to those same standards of accountability.

The sad part is that Mayor Bronin continues to allow Thody to erode the trust and confidence the community should have in their Police Department by the lack of accountability.  It is unclear why Bronin has turned a blind eye to Thody's behavior and has raised many questions. Is there more going on with those in the Mayor's Office enamored with Thody that he keeps being given a "free pass"

Mayor Bronin needs to deal with the "Dead Pool" and he needs to do it swiftly. Any supervisor that does not have a problem with Officers betting on homicides does not deserve to be in any type of Supervisory role, period!

WELCOME TO HARTFORD

The Front Street parking lot, the crown jewel of the State of Connecticut's investment into Hartford's Redevelopment. How safe do you fell visiting or living here?

We hear a lot of phrases thrown about when it comes to Hartford's image, "Quality of Life " is probably one of the big ones when it comes to living in Hartford, but is just a catch phrase? How does one measure the quality of life?

Is it measured by how safe people feel in their homes or neighborhoods? Is it measured by being able to cross the streets without being rundown in a crosswalk by a reckless driver ? Is it by being able to stop at a traffic light without panhandlers accosting you and your vehicle? Is it by being able to spend anytime outside of  your house without hearing gunshots? Is it being able to fall asleep at night without illegal fireworks rattling your windows?

If so Hartford is failing big time by those parameters.

The recent outbreak or more likely epidemic of car breaks and thefts this past week in Hartford does not enhance the quality of life in Luke's Kingdom. If anything, especially to anyone coming into the City and witnessing the shattered auto glass and vehicles sitting on rims after their tires are stolen only serves as evidence that the recent crime bill is not working.

As in the past, prior to the Democrats pushing a poorly designed bill through. Previously, Police Officers were able to stop suspicious vehicles at 3:00am as they lurked in neighborhoods and behind buildings. Now our Officer's have been handcuffed by the Legislature. Many officers are reluctant to stop a vehicle ,unsure of whether or not they will be supported by their administration for doing their jobs

Welcome to Hartford, get used to it. It probably isn't going to change for the better anytime soon

HPD COVID UPDATE

 Some days I wonder if it is worth the time and effort I put into this Blog. An anonymous phone call I received yesterday from a caller ,who identified himself as a Hartford Police Officer, gave me a very clear answer to  that question.

The caller wanted to thank me for my efforts to get Covid 19 sanitizing supplies for HPD officers. He said that he felt that I had more concern for HPD Officers than their own Chief''s did, I guess looking at the facts, I probably can't argue with that.

The caller felt that the response by Chief Jason Thody, Assistant Chief Ralph Medina and Deputy Chief Dustin Rendock had been abysmal after a recent Covid-19  outbreak began to spread through HPD. Several HPD Officers had tested positive for Covid but  that information was not shared with HPD Officers by the Command Staff. As a sidenote , all are apparently recovering well, thankfully

My original posting also pointed ot the deficiencies in any Covid prevention measures by Thody and his band of Merry Men. A couple days after my Blog posting I received a text message from an HPD source to tell me that immediately after my post HPD Admin "handed out N95 masks to everyone, hand sanitizer stations at 253 (253 High Street, Police Headquarters) car cleanings at 40J (40 Jennings Road, DPW Maintenance Garage), it's like suddenly they remembers Covid exists? Ha. Spray bottles with disinfectant for cruisers too".

Now, I have to ask, why did it take a blog posting to properly  protect our Police Officers and their families from possible infection. Aren't we paying enough to the Thody Brain Trust to expect Medina and Rendock to do their jobs?

Well, all is well that ends well and at least our front line Police Officers are getting some of the protections they should have been getting all along. And once again a special thank you to retired Deputy Chief Brian Foley, now an Aid to Public Safety Commissioner James Rovella, and Hartford's Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Reggie Freeman  for getting the ball rolling on providing these supplies minutes after I made them aware of the problem.

And to all of our our First Responders and Medical professionals, a very Happy Thanksgiving and stay safe and healthy.

SOME THINGS CAN'T BE RUSHED

 It has only been a little over a year , so it is probably time to fix the Security Gates at the rear lot for the Hartford Public Safety Complex. 

It probably had nothing to do with recent vandalism incidents of Police Vehicles, although the Administration at HPD is very reactionary rather than visionary

It is good that Deputy Chief Dustin Rendock took the time to notify users of the lot of the impending inconvenience, The next thing you know he might find the time to email HPD personnel and advise them of any Covid outbreaks at HPD.

INEXCUSABLE COVID 19 REPONSE BY HARTFORD POLICE ADMINISTRATION

 

According to numerous sources, Covid-19 infections and positive Covid test results are travelling through the Hartford Police Department. At least two Lieutenants , 2 Sergeants and others  have tested positive in the past week.

The troubling part though is that no one has communicated this risk to the other nearly 400 officers who have come in contact with these front line supervisors every time they report to work. No e-mail notifications and virtually no comment or communication from the Chief's office.

 This is inexcusable.

Covid prevention tactics have also been non-existent after the early days of Covid. Officers tell me that they have to provide their own sanitizer sprays, wipes and hand sanitizer. Officers have told me that initially , patrol vehicles were wiped down and sanitized after each shift by DPW employees. Apparently that ended months ago and even with the current Covid outbreak that has not resumed.

It gets interesting because several officers told me that it was explained to them that they were told DPW did not want to clean the cars. That is understandable, but it is also untrue. A source familiar with DPW operations said that they were surprised when HPD stopped bringing in cruisers to be disinfected, but the DPW source said that it was HPD's choice , not DPW.

And even if DPW did not want to handle an essentially Haz-mat function disinfecting cruisers, Chief Thody, I would think has a moral obligation to do everything in his control to provide for the health and well being of his officers during a Pandemic. And not only his officers, but their families that they go home to every night. Many of them were not even aware of the Covid Positive co-workers that they are sharing workspace with everyday. 

One supervisor was concerned that no one had told them that a Lieutenant that they share an Office with tested positive. They said that there  has been no mention of a deep cleaning of their office or even sanitizing wipes to disinfect computer keyboards, phones or even desktops.

I was also told that there was no hand sanitizer for officers, the dispensers in the hallways have been empty for months, they had bottles put in the cars at the beginning of the outbreak but no one followed up with filling them and sanitizing wipes are non-existent.

I couldn't believe that HPD was so short on critical supplies. I immediately called retired HPD Deputy Chief Brian Foley asking for advice as to where I could turn to get critical supplies for HPD Officers if their own Chief wasn't going to do it. I knew that part of Foley's responsibility with Commissioner Rovella was handling stockpiling PPE equipment for the State. Foley said that obtaining supplies should not be a problem especially financially since FEMA would reimburse HPD and the City for most of the cost.

Foley's heart, like many HPD retirees, is still strongly invested in HPD. Foley suggested that I contact Hartford's Fire Chief Reggie Freeman to make him aware of the problem since Chief Freeman is also the City's Emergency Management Director. Foley did offer that if the matter was urgent  and if that message was relayed to him, the supplies could be made available immediately (the same night). I contacted Chief Freeman and explained all of the above to him and he said he would check on it right away. Less than 3 minutes later I received a text from Chief Freeman  with two simple words " ON IT".

 Shortly after that I received communications  that  DPW had all of the supplies that HPD needed for sanitizing and  were readily available, but here is the kicker, they claim no one from HPD had asked for any supplies or requested them.

They were also very surprised when cruisers stopped coming to the City Garage to be disinfected, but the DPW source said that was a HPD decision and they would gladly disinfect the cruisers as part of their maintenance if asked.

Surprisingly a text message was sent out today by a HPD Captain claiming  that cleaning supplies were now available. Surprise, surprise how these things happen.

Even more surprising is that HPD actually seemed to put some thought into their response in their Covid 19 response  "Special Order2020-01"  issued on March 20, 2020. Although this order seems to lay out a logical blueprint for HPD's Covid 19  response.  Much of the responsibility was assigned, according to the order,  to the Assistant Chief of Police, who is currently Raphael Medina , very little of it, if any was carried out by Medina  under Thody's direct supervision.

A couple of key points from the order stand out as ignored. 

 #1, Implement additional cleaning procedures for Detention and employee workspaces to include police vehicles.  Not being done. No additional cleaning for vehicles , detention or workspaces. despite Thody's directive.

#2-Provide direction to employees on risk mitigation and other relevant updates. These updates and directives will be fluid as conditions and intelligence changes.  No communication from Medina or Thody by e-mail , group text or any other format regarding the recent Covid 19  results.

3#- Ensure necessary equipment is available and accessible to sworn and civilian staff. Now I know I shouldn't assume, but I would think that "necessary equipment" would include hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to accomplish item #1.

Apparently none of this has been done by the Assistant Chief as ordered in Thody's directive.

Inexcusable when it can equate to Officer's safety and the well being of their families. We owe our First responders so much better if we expect them to go out during a pandemic.

Finally. I think if Mayor Bronin is going to get in front of TV cameras and hype his Covid response, he should actually be doing everything for his front line responders to protect them, not just providing political lip service.

HERE IS THE TEXT OF THE FULL ORDER

I. PURPOSE: To outline steps and procedures to be followed in the event of a pandemic COVID-19 outbreak in and around the City of Hartford. This special order shall be in effect upon its issuance. II. POLICY: In the event of a large scale COVID-19 outbreak in and around the City of Hartford which results in a staffing shortage to patrol services, the Hartford Police Department shall mobilize all, or a portion of, the Department as required to take appropriate law enforcement and humanitarian action to protect life and property and to prepare for an orderly recovery from such an outbreak. III. PROCEDURE: A. Concept of Operation: 1. The mobilization of the Hartford Police Department shall be conducted in three phases of operational readiness as follows: a. Phase I - Increased Readiness (See Appendix I, to this Special Order) b. Phase II - Emergency Operations (See Appendix II, to this Special Order) c. Phase III - Recovery (See Appendix III, to this Special Order) B. The Chief of Police shall: 1. Keep the Mayor and the Chief Operating Officer informed of the situation. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 2 of 11 2. Establish direct communication with the Fire Chief/Director of Emergency Management. 3. Establish the Compstat Room as the Hartford Police Operations Center. Work in conjunction with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Hartford Public Safety Complex. C. The Assistant Chief and/or designee shall: 1. Keep the Chief of Police informed of the situation. 2. Ensure necessary equipment is available and accessible to sworn and civilian staff. 3. Arrange for lodging and food (if necessary) for personnel, as needed. a. It is established that the Hartford Hilton and the Hartford Marriott Downtown will be the locations utilized for the lodging of personnel. 4. Establish a liaison from the Hartford Police Department to outside organizations such as State Police or National Guard/Federal troops and other assisting agencies. 5. Ensure that security measures are in place to protect any city resources. D. All Division Commanders shall: 1. Be prepared to implement operations as indicated in appendices I, II and III to this special order. 2. Maintain an accurate status of all personnel under his/her command and report a “sick list” to the Sergeant of Auxiliary Services Division on a daily basis. E. All supervisors shall: 1. Report through the chain of command any sworn employee exposure to, or symptoms of, COVID-19. F. Media Considerations: 1. All members of the Hartford Police Department are prohibited from releasing any information regarding COVID-19 to the media. 2. The HPD Public Information Officer (PIO) shall bring any media communications regarding COVID-19 to the Mayor’s Chief of Staff. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 3 of 11 APPENDIX I- INCREASED READINESS I. SITUATION: Pandemic COVID-19 cases identified regionally and/or locally. II. PROCEDURE: A. The Chief of Police shall: 1. Maintain close operational liaison with other City of Hartford department heads. 2. Limit non-essential functions of the police department (until such time as the pandemic emergency has passed) which may include, but is not limited to: a. Closing the Records Division public window and providing electronic report services for legally required requests. b. Suspend processing of raffle, liquor, pistol, loudspeaker and other permits which are not essential to public safety. c. Suspend public fingerprinting services. d. Postpone all events related to recruiting and background investigations, including but not limited to, physical agility testing, written testing, candidate interviews, and home visits. e. Suspend Police Explorers and Police Athletic League (PAL) programs. f. Direct Community Service Officers (CSOs) and other personnel to temporarily refrain from attending Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (NRZ) meetings and other community meetings. g. Direct that the Property Room limits public access to retrieve seized or recovered property, except when mandated by a court order. h. Provide direction to employees on risk mitigation and other relevant updates. These updates and directives will be fluid as conditions and intelligence changes. i. Limit the hours of, and/or close, the front lobby of the Public Safety Complex. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 4 of 11 B. The Assistant Chief of Police and/or designee shall: 1. Monitor the spread and infection rate of COVID-19 in and around Hartford. 2. Cancel all out-of-town training and other trainings as deemed appropriate to mitigate risk and exposure. 3. Initiate procedures to minimize custodial arrests. 4. Implement additional cleaning procedures for Detention and employee workspaces to include police vehicles. 5. Adjust procedures to avoid group settings, including roll calls. 6. Identify essential, essential-remote, and non-essential workforce employees. 7. Advise Emergency Services and Telecommunications (ES&T) supervisors of the measures to limit officer exposure to the public, as described in section D of this appendix. C. All Commanders shall: 1. At roll calls and staff meetings, communicate to sworn staff: a. The need for family emergency preparedness in the event that sworn employees are needed for an extended period of time. b. Encourage personal hygiene and measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. c. Review Department plans (i.e. Appendix II of this special order) that may affect sworn staff if COVID-19 spreads significantly in and around Hartford and creates a staffing shortage. 2. Encourage officers to issue misdemeanor summons in every circumstance possible, as directed by Special Order 20-002. 3. Review mobilization procedures (refer to Appendix II of this special order). 4. Maintain an accurate status of all personnel under his/her command and report a “sick list” to the Sergeant of Auxiliary Services Division on a daily basis. D. Handling of calls for service 1. Aside from extraordinary circumstances, to limit responding officer’s possible exposure to COVID-19, the following calls for service should be handled by telephone: a. Non-emergency larceny complaints. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 5 of 11 b. All identity theft complaints. c. Burglary complaints with undetermined time of occurrence, and a determination that the suspect is no longer on scene. d. Motor vehicle accidents where there are no injuries. e. Lost or found property complaints. f. Auto theft complaints, so long as the theft did not involve attempted or actual violence, or the threat thereof. g. Property damage complaints. 2. After making initial contact with the complainant by phone, the responding officer (upon consultation with his/her supervisor, if necessary) will make a determination as to whether or not they need to respond to the scene. 3. Responding officers should request that complainants send them supporting documentation for their complaints (insurance cards, photos of property damage, surveillance video, etc.) via their department email, and attach such supporting documents to their Case Incident Report (CIR). 4. Whenever possible, officers should request to speak with complainants, witnesses, and suspects outdoors and/or in open areas where surface contamination is limited and social distancing can be achieved. 5. The department will not respond to: a. Noise Complaints. b. Non-criminal community service calls. c. Civil matters. E. Auxiliary Services Shall: 1. Develop a 12-hour shift plan as described in appendix II to this special order, to prepare for the possibility that the outbreak progresses into the Emergency Operation Stage. 2. Allow for additional Teleserve staffing, as needed, to handle possible increases in complaints by phone. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 6 of 11 APPENDIX II -EMERGENCY OPERATIONS STAGE I. SITUATION: Pandemic COVID-19 cases identified regionally and/or locally, with Department-wide reduction of staffing. II. PROCEDURE: A. The Chief of Police shall issue a mobilization order after he/she determines that the outbreak is of sufficient magnitude to require major deviation from normal police operating procedures. 1. The Chief of Police, upon making an operability assessment, may implement any or all of the following: a. Continue the limit on all non-essential functions of the Police Department, as described in Appendix I. b. Establish a Patrol Operations Commander and a Support Operations Commander. c. Cancel all pre-approved vacations and leave. d. Attempt to fill vacant shifts with overtime. e. Order all identified employees to remain home or in predesignated housing provided by the Department. f. Order all non-essential remote employees to work from home. g. Expand operational shifts to 12 hours. h. Adjust mandatory patrol staffing levels, as deemed necessary. i. Change days off based on operational needs, up to and including no days off. j. Augment patrol with officers assigned to specialized units and the ISB, as necessary. k. Recall to work identified employees to fill operational shifts, as needed. l. Adjust calls for service response guidelines for lower priority calls for service. m. Suspend standard private duty hiring practice and implement practice where private duty jobs are assigned by Auxiliary Services on a priority basis. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 7 of 11 2. The Assistant Chief of Police shall: a. Utilize the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and reassign command level responsibilities. b. Establish and direct Command Center operations as required. c. Implement the Incident Command System (ICS) organizational structure and activate Resource Teams dependent upon the severity of the situation. Resource Teams are elements of sworn officers (and other necessary personnel) tasked with addressing issues surrounding response and management of the pandemic situation, other than normal Patrol operations. d. Advise Emergency Services and Telecommunications (ES&T) supervisors of the measures to limit officer exposure to the public, as described in section A.3 of this appendix. e. Keep the Chief of Police informed of the situation. 3. Handling of calls for service a. Aside from extraordinary circumstances, to limit responding officer’s possible exposure to COVID-19, the following calls for service shall be handled by telephone: i. Non-emergency larceny complaints. ii. All identity theft complaints. iii. Burglary complaints with undetermined time of occurrence, so long as it is determined that the suspect is no longer on scene. iv. Motor vehicle accidents where there are no injuries. v. Lost or found property complaints. vi. Auto theft complaints, so long as the theft did not involve attempted or actual violence, or the threat thereof. vii. Property damage complaints. viii. Any other complaint which a supervisor determines can be adequately addressed by telephone. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 8 of 11 b. Responding officers should request that complainants send them supporting documentation for their complaints (insurance cards, photos of property damage, surveillance video, etc.) via their department email, and attach such supporting documents to their Case Incident Report (CIR). c. The Department will not respond to: i. Noise complaints. ii. Non-criminal community service calls. iii. Civil matters. iv. Private property motor vehicle accidents. v. Unoccupied abandoned or suspicious vehicle, so long as they do not present a risk to public safety. vi. Audible or silent alarms where no keyholder is responding and there have been three or more false alarms in the preceding thirty days. 4. The Support Operations Commander shall: a. Command the Support Operations and report to the Assistant Chief of Police, providing updates to the situation as needed. b. Utilize the Resource Teams (as outlined in Section II. A. 2 c., above) to address facility lock downs, curfew enforcement, perimeters, surveillance of entry points, traveler screening, and crowd control when needed. c. Ensure that sufficient personnel and equipment are assigned and provided to the Resource Teams. d. Maintain an accurate accounting of the status of personnel assigned to the Resource Teams. e. Prepare and submit chronological reports on Support Operations activities. f. Schedule relief and feeding of Support Operations Personnel, as necessary. 5. The Patrol Operations Commander shall: a. Report to the Deputy Chief of Patrol, providing updates to the situation as needed. b. Manage Patrol operations. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 9 of 11 c. Maintain an accurate status of personnel under Patrol command. d. Prepare and submit chronological reports on Patrol activity. e. Maintain Detention operations. g. Maintain Animal Control Operations. h. Be prepared to implement other operations and directives, as needed. i. Schedule relief and feeding of Patrol Operations personnel. 6. Auxiliary Services shall: a. Assist Patrol Operations and execute scheduling modifications as directed by the Chief of Police or designee. b. Allow for additional Teleserve staffing as needed to handle possible increases in complaints by phone. c. Maintain a daily sick list and a list of officers available to be recalled. This report shall be forwarded to the Chief of Police through the chain of command. 7. All Division Commanders shall, on a daily basis, notify auxiliary services of the division’s current sick list. 8. Fiscal Division shall: a. Track fiscal expenses associated with personnel and non-personnel expenditures associated with the incident. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 10 of 11 APPENDIX III – RECOVERY PHASE I. SITUATION: Returning to normal operating procedure after staffing shortage due to COVID-19 pandemic. II. PROCEDURE A. The Chief of Police shall: 1. Make a determination as to when the mobilization order may be rolled back. 2. Designate personnel to produce after action report(s). B. Auxiliary Services may roll back the mobilization order systematically, to address the staffing needs of the Department. C. Sworn employees should remain cognizant that there may be additional waves of COVID-19 and therefore should continue to practice personal hygiene and social distancing. Special Order 2020-01 COVID-19 Continuity of Operations Plan Effective date: 3/19/2020 Page 11 of 11 APPENDIX IV - COMMAND AND COMMUNICATIONS Command Staff Contact List 

NAME POSITION WORK CELL PHONE PERSONAL CELL 

AT LEAST $35,000 "UNTRACEABLE" FUNDS MISSING FROM HARTFORD SCHOOLS ACTIVITY FUNDS ACCOUNT

A report from October of 2019 details some very poor accounting procedures and questionable behavior in handling of tens of thousands of dollars in student activity funds.

The report has been a well kept secret at the Hartford Schools for over a year. I had requested the report though a Freedom of Information request from the Hartford Schools Executive Director of Finance Maureen  Colman when I was first made aware of the report. The Hartford Schools have been less than transparent  and as of this date, they have not provided a copy of the report. Fortunately, I was able to obtain a copy of the report through "alternative means".

A quick review of the report will answer the question as to why they refused to release it. The report documents one incident after another of shoddy practices  and suspicious behavior in handling student funds from the activities account at Bulkeley High School. Although the report does not identify any one individual, sources have told me that an employee responsible for the mishandling has been terminated.

The report details as much as $35,000 in discrepancies in the listed balance on the account. There is no mention of any attempts to recover the unaccounted for funds or any referral to the Hartford Police Department for an investigation.

For several years, the Hartford Internal Audit Commission has been pushing for these and other Hartford School's Accounts to be entered on MUNIS, the City's accounting program. Apparently the Board has  refused those requests and the funds are still maintained in secrecy with open opportunities for mishandling and criminal intentions.

This report should show why the change is needed to prevent further loss or thefts of funds meant for Hartford's children.

The entire report can be read here: just click on the link  view report here

HPD IMPOUND LOT STOLEN ATV'S LISTING OBTAINED

The Hartford Police Department has been less than transparent on the recent thefts from their impound lot burglary.

 A listing was obtained today from an anonymous HPD source listing 31 of the missing vehicles and the HPD case numbers associated with the thefts. Sources stated that 3 of the vehicles may have already been recovered.

 HPD spokesperson Lt. Paul Cicero still has not provided any information regarding the thefts, despite my requests for details. I guess it is too embarrassing for them to comment when the thefts are the result of their own oversight.

 It is unclear as to the liability of The City of Hartford to the owners since the vehicles were technically in the care and control of HPD, who had a responsibility to secure them until released or disposed of by the Court.

The question most are asking me  is to how an area used for evidence storage was so poorly secured. Hopefully the HPD Property Room is a little more secure, but who knows.

 So much for the chain of custody.

GOVERNOR LAMONT, PLEASE PROTECT OUR INVESTMENT

 

In 2018, the State of Connecticut bailed out the City of Hartford to the apparent amount of $550,000,000 to avoid Hartford falling into Bankruptcy after years of poor management

If Hartford is to stand any chance of rebounding or rebuilding, Hartford needs to get its violent crime problem under control. Shootings and gun violence are running wild in Hartford. Just in the last 24 hours there have been 3 shooting incidents, totaling at least 4 victims . There have been 12 shotspotter activations with over 58 rounds fired.

This violence does not instill confidence in business owners to remain in Hartford or to even consider a move to Hartford. It doesn't sit well with people considering moving to Hartford either to be in such a violent environment. They could move to Chicago if they truly wanted to experience the illegal gun culture

In the meantime, it seems as though Hartford's Mayor Luke Bronin and Police Chief Jason Thody have no plan and are unsure how to deal with the spike. Bronin even went so far as to blame the shootings on Covid-19 this past weekend after he was facing pressure to say something. I doubt very much that he has any evidence or studies at all to back that up, if so, I would love to read them

His comments came Saturday after a hastily called meeting with HPD Commanders.( Sources tell me that Chief Thody was not in attendance at the meeting) Bronin's comments were most likely to make it look like he was doing something  rather than any actual plan to curb the shootings. Most likely because neither Bronin or Thody have a plan. If they did it should have been implemented in early summer, not now after things are already out of control

Governor Lamont, you have the resources at your fingertips to start changing this. Your Public Safety Commissioner Jim Rovella did it once and he has the expertise to do it again. Rovella understands Hartford. Rovella understands the gun culture and violence in Hartford. And the good thing about Rovella he knows how to put egos aside and do what needs to be done. He may not have all the answers , but he is willing to ask others to be part of the effort and get it done.

Rovella did that initially when he was the Chief Inspector for the States Attorneys Office and he was tasked by former Governor Malloy and Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane to "do something about the violence in Hartford". And Rovella did it. He put together a task force comprised of State and Federal Agencies to target Hartford's gun problems several years ago with laser like precision . The results were huge and hundreds of illegal guns as well as criminals were taken off Hartford's streets.

Please give the order again Governor Lamont, do something about the violence in Hartford. People are dying

HPD BURGLARIZED OVERNIGHT

Numerous sources within the Hartford Police Department are confirming that the HPD Impound lot  behind 50 Jennings Road was burglarized over night.

Apparently thieves were able to break into the lot and steal multiple ATV's and Quads that were being held as evidence . These vehicles are typically confiscated by HPD officers when they are being operated illegally on Hartford's streets.

 A request for comment and details from Hartford Police spokesperson LT. Paul Cicero has gone unanswered as of this time.

Chief Jason Thody apparently also began a vacation today so no comment from him either.

Common sense would seem to dictate that an alarm on the fence surrounding the supposed secure area would have been in use, That, according to sources, is not the case. So much for the lot being a secure area for evidence storage.

Cicero also did not respond to the question  as to whether any video captured the burglary.

It just gets better and better, and these are professionals running the place?

WHAT'S THE PLAN ,JASON?

 

                                                           HPD RECENT CRIME STATS

Hartford is in the middle of a violent crime spree. The numbers speak for themselves, at least 16 shooting victims in the last 10 days. HPD's own Crime statistics show a 700% increase in shootings and shooting victims in the week between September 27th and October 3rd, 2020. The  numbers for the last month show a 200% increase.

Although these numbers seem to speak for themselves of the state of violent crime  in Hartford, two people that seem not to be speaking are Hartford's Police Chief Jason Thody and Mayor Luke Bronin.

Why the silence? Neither of them, Bronin or Thody are addressing the issue or laying out any plans to combat the problem.

Under former Chief Jim Rovella, a plan was devised at the direction of former Governor Dan Malloy when Hartford was facing severe gun violence and violent crime issues. The results of Rovella's plan were instantaneous. Large quantities of illegal guns were seized in record numbers, shooters were taken off the streets and gun cases were successfully prosecuted and deadly crime decreased under Rovella's plans.

What happened? Why did Thody dismantle most of Rovella's initiatives and why haven't they been revised to fight this obvious problem or at the very least , can't Thody come up with some fresh ideas.

 Where is HPD's Intelligence Division? Why aren't patrol officers and others being provided information on the shooting trends and suspected shooters . Why aren't more gun arrests being made. Some days it seems like only the Patrol Division know how to track illegal; guns and get them off the street.

Where is Project Longevity, a proven program created  under Rovella to combat consistent offenders and shooters.  It worked, and was replicated across the State and had results dealing with felons.. 

If Chief Thody doesn't have a plan or is unsure how to devise a plan, give me a call Jason and I'll share my contact info for Commissioner Rovella. I'm sure he would once again be willing to share his expertise to help the City he loves.

IS A NEW ASSISTANT CHIEF IN THE WINGS FOR HPD?

 

KENNY HOWELL

Several  Hartford Police sources are telling me that a new Assistant Police Chief should be named at HPD soon. Apparently Chief Thody has informed some, including his Commanders at a recent Compstat meeting, that he has selected an African American male, who is also an attorney, to be brought into the number 2 slot.

Assistant Chief Ralph Medina, a retired State Trooper, was brought in as an Assistant Chief under  former Chief David Rosado, also a retired Trooper. It is unclear whether Thody is planning on replacing Medina or filling a second Assistant Chief slot.

A second Assistant Chief spot has not been filled for several years.

Word is that Thody has selected retired New Haven Police Lieutenant Kenny Howell , an African American  male, to fill the slot. Howell served 21 years with the New Haven Police Department before his retirement. Howell was then selected as Police Chief in Millbury Massachusetts until 2015 when his contract was abruptly ended and not renewed for unknown reasons.

In media reports, Howell claimed it was for "ruffling feathers" in the troubled Department.

If Howell is actually appointed Assistant Chief in Hartford, only time will tell if "ruffling feathers" will be an appreciated and needed skill for his career survival here. Apparently, Howell may not currently be a certified Police Officer and may require some additional training to re-gain his certification.

No confirmation from HPD on this yet.

HARTFORD'S POSTERBOY FOR INCOMPETENCE, INEFFICIENCY AND HYPOCRISY

Last night, or more precisely, early this morning, numerous vehicles were vandalized and spray painted with the letters "BLM" in the rear parking lot for the Hartford Police Department. This vandalism included HPD vehicles as well as Officer's personal vehicles. I am not going to get into all  of the details of the incident, but apparently a 17 year old has been arrested in the incident.

More troubling to me is more the issue of how it happened. How was a 17 year old able to get into a supposedly secure are and vandalize vehicles for an extended period. Operating undetected in front of a Police Department facility that I would hope we all thought was safe.

Well as it turns out, most of our driveways are about as safe, or safer. than the Hartford Police Parking area. The lot is supposed to be secured by chain link fence metal gates that are opened and closed by a key card access control system. Apparently those gates have been broken for months and no one was concerned enough to make the calls to get them fixed. As well as security cameras to cover the area. A 12 foot high fence covers the back are along the railroad tracks

Those broken gates allowed anyone that wanted to walk in or drive into the supposedly "secure" area. Did no one notice they were broken. Did no supervisor or member of the command staff look out the window or drive by and maybe say to themselves "hmmm. I wonder why the secure gates are always open?"

What about the Deputy Chief whose job and responsibility it is to maintain the building? Where was he? Too busy buffing the chrome trailer hitch on his prized Bomb Squad truck? This is inexcusable. If someone is making over $130,000 to do a job and he doesn't do that job, then it is the Police Chief's job to hold him accountable, and that doesn't usually happen at HPD. The only people held accountable are the low men and women on the totem pole ( is that analogy politically incorrect now a days?) The higher ups are never touched.

Thody has no trouble coming down on the little people, but if you're one of his boys with a take home Tahoe, you're all set.

For years, ever since 253 High Street opened as the new Public Safety Headquarters, the Command Staff had a fenced in deck on the second level of the parking garage. Very secure, well maintained, properly plowed in the winter. The rank and file, the little people of HPD, mostly patrol officers, have had to park in a dirt lot across from the front entrance. An unsecured dirt lot, no gates no direct cameras except what is on the front of 253 High Street, complete with ankle busting pot holes and hazards. Many Officer's cars have been broken into in that lot.

But who cares as long as the Chief and the Command Staff can park comfortably in their secure parking area.

As an issue of Officer safety, the gates need to be repaired immediately, the rear lot should be cleared  of any unnecessary vehicles and space should be made for Hartford Police Officers to be able to park their personal vehicles securely while working. There is room to accommodate that and it should be done ASAP and those responsible for failing to maintain the facility need to be held accountable.

Much of the "junk" that occupies space behind 253 High Street could very easily be moved to 40 or 50 Jennings Road to free up space

The safety and well being of our Police Officers, if we really appreciate them, requires nothing less. Again, it is an officer safety issue

 

CONNECTICUT'S POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BILL DRAFT

I have received numerous calls about the proposed Police Accountability Law  for Connecticut's Police Officers. The link to the bill on CT.GOV has been disabled so I am posting a PDF of the draft here.

 I haven't read the entire bill yet, so I will reserve my comments until I can digest it. Feel free to comment below

Police -- Draft Legislation 7-9-2020  on Scribd

WHERE IS THE THODY ACCIDENT REPORT?

"Now what?"

 I think anyone who has ever had to put a claim through for repairs after an auto accident knows that the first thing  any insurance company will ask for is the Police Report and case number.

So where is the accident report for the recent crash and repairs to the City of Hartford's 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe assigned to Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody.

So where is Thody's accident report, commonly called a PR-1 by Police.

The short and concise answer from the Connecticut State Police in their e-mail below was received pursuant to my request for a copy of the CSP accident report, it doesn't exist.

From the e-mail: "Please understand that there was no investigation into a motor vehicle collision because an accident was not reported to the State Police; therefore  there is no report that we are able to provide you"

Let me ask a hypothetical question here, since CSP said there is no report and we know according to the Hartford COO Thea Montanez that the insurance Company paid a claim for over $3300.00 what documentation was submitted to validate the accident or is there a possibility that a phony report was submitted as part of a wider coverup?

Montanez  and Thody had initially claimed that the damage was under $1,000.00 so no report was required. So in my best Maury Povich voice I have to say "That was a lie". Damage exceeded $3300.00

These questions need to be answered, and answered truthfully for a change.

Lets start with the phone records verifying Thody's call to Montanez immediately after the crash as he claims and lets see the insurance documentation .

Csp Foi Email  on Scribd