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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

HPD DEPUTY CHIEF SUSPENDED OVER RACIST AND SEXUAL COMMENTS

The Internal Affairs Investigation is complete and now comes the discipline. The investigation ordered by Hartford Police Chief James Rovella. It began after complaints by HPD officers related to complaints against Deputy Chief Robert Ford that the officers felt were racist in origin. The investigation also developed information related to sexually inflammatory  comments that Ford admitted to making.

Once the investigation was completed, it confirmed the behavior that the officers alleged. The entire report can be read below. The report upheld that Fords behavior was a violation of the Departments Code of Conduct. Under the code, the punishment could be nothing , up to a maximum five day suspension. Apparently due to the severity of the actions, Ford was given the maximum punishment of a five day suspension.

It is somewhat uncommon for a member of the command staff to receive a suspension . Ford's disciplinary paperwork and his admission to the behavior are below.

These documents were obtained pursuant to an FOI request made to HPD

UPDATE:  Chief Rovella's Letter of Discipline was left out of the original scan, here it is below



THE FORD INTERNAL AFFAIRS REPORT

DEPUTY CHIEF FORD DISCIPLINE REPORTS

PLEASE....OUT OF RESPECT

Normally I encourage your comments and in most cases welcome them.

Out of respect for the tragic death of Firefighter Kevin Bell and his family as well as the other firefighters injured last night, I would ask that you refrain from comments regarding HFD or  its "leaders".

If you sent a comment this morning and are wondering why they aren't being posted, I am holding them back. Let's get through the grieving process and show our respect for our first responders. Including our firefighters , police officers and EMT's who worked so valiantly as a team yesterday to save a life. To the EMT's who worked over an hour and a half trying to revive Firefighter Bell, to HPD who blocked intersections along the ambulance route to Saint Francis to facilitate a quick response to the trauma center and foremost to Firefighters who were in a building that most of us would have run from.

Yes, there are problems  but now is not the time to focus on them. Let the investigation proceed and see what the results are. If changes need to be made , so be it, but in the meantime , respect the brave first responders that our on our streets for us day in and day out.

I will save any information I receive and post it at the appropriate time in the future.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

WHERE ARE THE REPORTS?

With the Bond Rating dropping, tax collections unaccounted for now for several months , how can the City really know what its financial position is?

 And where is the Council on any of these issues? By Charter, the quarterly financial reports should have been submitted to the Council at their first meeting in September. One City Hall source says the reports aren't even done yet and definitely have not been submitted as the Charter requires. This should raise a red flag for the Council and they should be demanding these reports immediately. But in true Council fashion... nothing.

We need a government that functions and is accountable. Otherwise we might as well throw the City Charter out and continue in the direction we are going

IS A BASEBALL STADIUM REALLY THE SPARK THAT HARTFORD NEEDS?

As I watch more of the "process" for this baseball stadium, I keep asking myself if this is really the spark that is going to get Hartford moving ahead?

As much as I would hope that it could be, I think it has only gone to reinforce the image that Hartford is a City of fools, run by fools. Nothing about this project has gone smooth  or been presented well. The busway was rolled out smoother than this single, much simpler project . Hartford's Economic Development people were born too late, they probably would have had great futures launching the Edsel.

I think this project was doomed from the start due to the secrecy and lack of information supplied to the populace. The second launch after the original outcry wasn't much better, still no facts, very little financial detail. Just more of the "trust me" from a Mayor whose trustworthy ratings aren't riding too high right about now.

I just keep wondering what will really spark  economic development in Hartford. I don't believe it is stealing a baseball team from one of our neighboring suburb. I really do think that a properly run City Government would draw more attention from developers and business people than any baseball stadium.Wouldn't it be great to hear business leaders saying "we want to be in Hartford, it is so well managed , and it is the place for us to be"

Wouldn't it be nice to hear a developer announce that they are coming to Hartford because they believe in the potential and think Hartford is moving in the right direction. They see the fiscal responsibility at City Hall and want to be part of the growth. Not because a broke City is willing to throw $65million dollars at the feet of greedy developers to buy their love for the City ( I know the $65 million figure has been changed, but can anyone supply real  numbers for the project)

I look at a smaller town like Middletown, that is vibrant and seems to have no problem with Economic Development. Their Main Street is busy and I don't think we hear too much of the bickering and nonsense coming out of Hartford coming from Middletown.

These things make a difference. What developer wants to take a risk on a City like Hartford where more energy is put into corrupt activity like scheming to hand pick an Assistant Fire Chief, who just happens to be sleeping with a City Official. And a Mayor that is willing to put his New Year's Eve Dinner and his caviar on his City Credit Card probably won't impress a hardworking developer that understands the meaning of hard work and proper management to get ahead.

I think if Hartford got its act together and began using basic management skills, that would impress more for the potential of actual Economic Development than gambling on a baseball stadium whose future and potential is sketchy at best. If you really want to gamble , head to Ledyard , not Hartford, our track record isn't the best.

THE COST OF SEGARRA'S INCOMPETENCE:"AT LEAST WE AREN'T DETROIT"

 
Word began circulating yesterday afternoon that Hartford's Bond rating would be taking a hit today, as it would be downgraded by Moody's, one of the Major Financial rating agency's.

Today it became official. According to sources at Hartford City Hall, one of the major reasons was that Moody's apparently felt that Mayor Segarra was less than truthful when he promised the rating agency last year that Hartford's Rainy Day Fund would be maintained at a level close to $30 million dollars. That apparently didn't happen and is far below that amount. Moody's also cited the City selling off assets to balance the City's budget as a factor.

In a detailed report they felt that the City's actions under Segarra and the Council "put a strain" on the City's abilities to close its deficits. That detailed evaluation can be viewed at moodys.com.

This downgrade will most likely also affect the over $350 million in outstanding bonding the City has out. It most likely will also make it more difficult to borrow money for future projects such as baseball stadiums and schools. Moody's also indicated the rating could most likely be downgraded more if the City doesn't clean up its financial situation.

Below is a release from Councilman David McDonald regarding the downgrade:

Today’s news from the Moody’s that Hartford’s credit rating was downgraded from A1 to A2 with a negative outlook comes at a very inopportune time for our city as we are about to issue $82 million in bonds later this month. This will increase our debt service and negatively affect all future bonding in which several important schools are scheduled for renovation such as Weaver High School.

Also the City Council is currently debating the financially risky development of a baseball stadium in Downtown North. This proposal has the strong possibility of further negatively impacting our budget and worsening our already weak financial position, which in all likelihood will lead to further reductions in our credit rating in the future. 

A downgrade on our credit rating will increase our debt service and cause our already $50 million dollar annual structural deficit to grow even larger. This is why City Council has worked so hard to balance our budgets without using the Fund Balance or mill rate increases. It’s the administration’s responsibility to properly manage the budget to avoid using the Fund Balance. The Mayor promised the credit rating agencies that he would not touch the Fund Balance, yet he has done just that, reducing it from $30 million to around $14 million.

Rather than being fiscally prudent, this administration has been spending millions on a stadium development proposal, appropriations that Council never authorized. This proposal is extremely likely to increase the city’s annual deficit in Years 5 and out. This proposal is not “budget neutral,” as claimed, and it relies on rosy revenue projections that are not tied to realistic revenue assumptions. It will increase the city’s annual deficit, which will further decrease our credit rating, starting a downward spiral not unlike what Detroit experienced.

The people of Hartford deserve much better from their city government. The news of Hartford’s credit rating downgrade heightens the risk associated with the proposed stadium development.

I urge all of my colleagues on the Court of Common Council to reject this unaffordable and financially risky proposal to build a stadium in Downtown North and instead promote affordable and sustainable development for DoNo and focus on protecting our residents and businesses from any potential need to increase taxes. Hartford has many businesses and residents who are struggling with the current tax rate. People can’t afford any higher taxes, and yet this mayor spends money without regard to the struggles of everyday people in Hartford. 

 Contact:  David MacDonald

Harford City Councilman

860-805-8935
 
 
NBC Connecticut's Len Besthoff was the first to break this story Thursday

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

IF THE COUNCIL WON'T DO IT, THE FEDS WILL

Reading the headline you are probably thinking it refers to investigating corruption at City Hall, but no, I am referring to obtaining funding for the Hartford Police Department. The money from a US Justice Department grant announced this week, $3.6 million, will be used to hire an additional 15 officers

Hartford is the only municipality in Connecticut to receive any funding under the program and received one of the highest amounts awarded nationwide.

Don't expect to see the officers on the streets anytime soon though. The City still has positions from a 2012 grant that have never been filled , despite the City's urgent need to fill vacant positions. HPD's staffing levels are currently the lowest they have been in years and dropping quickly due to attrition and retirements