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Friday, May 29, 2015

THE FOLEY COMMENTS, THE OTHER SIDE "WE ABSOLUTELY NEED MORE COPS"

A mentor of mine has always tried to pound into my head that I owe it to the people I write about to contact them first before I post a story about them. I did that this afternoon, with some interesting results.

I read this mornings newspaper with an interesting story about Hartford's Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley and his apparent comments that "we don't need more cops in Hartford". I think I read that like most people asking ' You know we aren't talking about Hartford Vermont. Are you aware of what has gone on in Hartford, Connecticut the last few weeks?" I drove around all day stewing about how anyone in their right mind could make such a comment and what I was going to write as my next blog post

 Would the heading be " HPD DEPUTY CHIEF LOSES HIS MIND?"  To make the situation worse , a couple of HPD Officers I encountered during the day all asked me "What's up with your buddy Foley and the Courant article?"

Yes , it is no big secret Brian Foley is a friend of mine, it has been mentioned numerous times here in the comments. I knew I was headed to a showdown when I put my thoughts on the blog, so late this afternoon I called Brian with the "heads up" that he probably wasn't going to like my blog posting tonight. The immediate response was "You're not going to beat me up also are you" I guess it was a bad day for Brian

I offered to make our conversation off the record, but I had questions about his comments. He said no, let's talk on the record and clarify any questions I had. I know that sounds odd for friends going on and off the re3cord, but I like to be upfront about that . Former Chief Daryl Roberts and I always had an understanding like that. I knew what it meant if he talked to me as Daryl to Kevin and what it meant when he talked to me as Chief Roberts to Kevin. Luckily a few times I asked that before the conversation got rolling , just to be sure.

 The first point Brian made was to the headline attributed to him. Foley "Could we use more cops , absolutely" Foley also clarified that "We need more long term solutions, We do need to hire more cops" " Flooding the streets with cops is not a long term solution"  Foley seemed to make, or try to make the point in the article that we will soon be hearing the call from the community urging the State Police to come in to solve the crime problems. Chief Foley walked very gingerly on that thin ice. Both Brian's father and his sister are or were Connecticut State Troopers so he wanted to avoid anything that looked like a slam to the State Police.

 But I don't need to defend Brian on this one, we are in total agreement here. For some reason CSP has always been seen as the savior riding in on the white horse to solve Hartford's problems. It is a feel good thing and not a solution at all. For the State Police to come into Hartford, for some screwy reason , the Hartford Police Union has a clause in the contract that any Trooper coming into Hartford needs to be paired up with a Hartford Officer on overtime,. If the Governor is even asked to send in Troopers, I would hope that he says NO. Give the dollars that would be spent on Troopers directly to Hartford in the form of a grant  to only be used for a summer initiative  to put HPD Officers on the streets.

Another solution to involve the State Police as a resource is also simple By CT Statute, the State Police can patrol or go anywhere in the State of Connecticut  outside of their regular areas as long as they don't establish regular patrols. If the state Police should come into Hartford, let them do what we already know they are good with. Set up a traffic check point on a Friday or Saturday and do traffic inspections. Hartford is a small city and most things move by car.

At a traffic checkpoint I would almost guarantee that it would serve several purposes. It would calm Hartford's reckless driving mentality and force some adherence to Motor vehicle law and most likely it would find guns and drugs being transported around the City and many outstanding warrants.

The HPD Union may not like the idea, but we are talking lives here

If State money doesn't come with those strings attached, Segarra and company will find a way to suck it into the General Fund to plug another budget hole.

Chief Foley also seemed to make the comment that by putting more officers into poor and minority areas it disrupted those area with additional, or maybe excessive police action and arrest to disrupt the neighborhood. Although again Foley said that flooding an area with cops is not a long term solution. I asked Brian if he would agree that the execution of a 17  year old , shot through the head at the curb disrupts a neighborhood more than any Police presence ever could. He replied :"I would absolutely agree with you". (He was using absolutely quite a bit today).

I was glad that I took the advice of my mentor and contacted Brian. I was prepared for a much different conversation initially, but in the end I was much happier with the outcome and felt much more comfortable with Brian's comments.

 Just remember , there are always two sides to every story.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

TIME TO ADDRESS A FEW COMMENTS

Just about eveey comment submitted gets posted on the blog with veery few exceptions. Sometimes comments are made that I don't agree with, but I guess it would be somewhat hypocritical to censor comments on a blog named "We the People". As the saying goes, I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it.

But with that being said, sometimes I feel the need to address comments.

Anyone watching Hartford the last few weeks must realize that Hartford's crime problem is a mess, And before you start, I will be addressing Deputy Chief Foley's comments in the Courant shortly.

The comments I want to address are regarding Hartford's Shooting Task Force. Is it perfect, no.  Do I agree with everything, especiaslly their staffing and budget issues, no

The truth is that prior to their creation, there was nothing around like the Shooting Task Force. There were attemps, but such an effective group of law enforcement professionals had never been assembled to achieve the long term results of STF. The project was the brainchild of States Attorney's Office Chief Inspector James Rovella.The way it has been explained to me previously,during a spike in violent crime, not unlike what we are experiencing right now, Governor Malloy called a meeting with Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane . Malloy's instructions to Kane were simple, "Do something about the crime in Hartford". The similarities continue on at that point. Pedro Segarra was the Mayor at the time and then, as now, there was no plan to deal with the rash of violence.

I guess Segarra's plan was, as it appears now, if he didn't acknowledge the violence then it probably wasn't happening.  Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane hand picked his solution. He directed his Chief Inspector at the time, James Rovella to devise a solution. Rovella's plan was a multi agency task force devised of various State and local agencies to launch a mutli pronged approach to getting guns and violent offenders off Hartford's streets .

The Hartford Shooting Task Force was born under Rovella's guidance. It was comprised of a large contingent of HPD officers and detectives, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Depertment of Corrections, Connecticut Probation and Parole, FBI, ATF, Connecticut States Attorney's Inspectors and I think a State prosecutor was thrown in also for good luck in working the cases through the courts. A couple of local municipalities also sent officers, I think West Hartford, East Hartford, Werhersfield and probably a couple other towns were involved also.

The plan came together like clockwork. The results were almost instantaneous. The media were all begging to ride along and try to see how they did what they did. Nationwide, Hartford's Shooting Task Force was getting recognition, shootings were down and some very dangerous felons were taken not only off Hartford's Streets but streets throughout the region.

Since the inception of STF over 300 weapons of various sizes and numerous felons have been arrested and most likely many lives saved. Unfortunately, all good things must come to and end, or at least fade away. Since its inception , STF has been decimated over the years as the problem decreases  I guess Mayor Segarra doesn't see the need or understand the word "sustainability".

A true leader after having several homicides and high profile shootings would probably be calling the Governor asking him to recommit his resources to Hartford. That is , if he had that type of relationship with Governor Malloy where they could actually communicate and respectfully ask for assistance. It is not about egos or budgets, it is about Public Safety and saving lives.

Oh and most of those agencies I originally mentioned as being part of STF, most are gone except for a few from HPD a Sergeant from the Ct State Police, a very limited presence from CT Department of Corrections and possibly limited resources from Probation and Parole. Two more Hartford Detectives were pulled back last Sunday to fill vacancies in the HPD Major Crimes Division, one of them the only Spanish speaking detective assigned to STF from what I am told.

I understand the comments regarding large amounts of overtime for STF.  I also understand that those officers and detectives assigned to STF are hand picked and go through a rigorous interview process to get there. Their work ethic is also reviewed. You have to be producing results and be hard working to gain an assignment in STF. I understand that a lot of the comments probably come from Officers that might have been passed over for an STF assignment.

As we read  and see in the media everyday, we owe a sincere debt of gratitude  to every Hartford Police Officer that protects our city  day in and day out. With the danger that STF faces everyday dealing with these weapons, it is money well spent and with the training involved and the specialty of the information involved, I don't really think the OT money would be productive opened up to everyone. It is not like there isn't enough OT to go around with 15 patrol cars being filled with overtime officers last Friday night alone.

The OT comments seem like sour grapes  and I would welcome our Mayor acting like a leader and getting the commitment to beef up STF more to what Chief Rovella originally intended. All lives matter and the people of Hartford deserve that from our "so called" leaders, Governor Malloy included

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

OK SO WHAT'S THE PLAN MAYOR?

The Hartford Courant is reporting that shooting incidents are up over 33percent in Hartford this year. So now what the plan from our Mayor and Council and the City Hall brain trust. If the response is typical, it will be to cut police funding even more than they have over the last few years.

Friday night on the evening shift, 15 patrol cars were filled by officers on overtime, several of them sergeants. What does that do to the overtime budget? And are we getting the most effective policing when these officers have already worked 60 or 70 hours in the week already

Here is a link to the Courant's story

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER SHOOTING IN HARTFORD

On 5/26/2015 at 0023 hours, a victim of gunfire walked into Hartford Hospital with a single non-life threatening gunshot wound to the right wrist/forearm area. Victim was positively identified as Rascell Leggett , born in 1986 of 160 Homestead Avenue in Hartford. Case is documented under HPD Case 15-15769. Leggett has a history of arrests to include firearms and drugs with HPD.  

Leggett stated he was walking north on Seymour Street near Park Street when a red, possibly a Ford Focus or Ford Fusion with NY plates pulled up to him, and after an exchange of words, the passenger fired three shots at him striking him in the wrist. There was no shot spotter activation to confirm Leggett’s accounts. Leggett refused to cooperate any further.  

However, Shot spotter activation was confirmed at 101 Atwood Street around the same time Leggett reported he was shot. Leggett is known to frequent the area around Atwood Street and it is likely that he was shot on Atwood Street and not Seymour Street. Two shell casings were recovered on Atwood Street, a 45 and a 38 caliber shell casing.  There were no witnesses or suspects identified and due to the lack of cooperation from the listed victim, this case will be forwarded to the Shooting Task Force for follow up.
 
To read more about the successes of Mayor Segarra's Community Policing Program, click here

I GUESS IT IS OFFICIAL NOW

 
From Fox 61's Louisa Moller's Twitter Account
 
Hartford police apparently are now confirming that they are investigating Sunday's shooting of a Pastor on Capitol Avenue as a hate crime. According to my sources, the shooter asked the pastor prior to shooting him if he was Gay. I had requested confirmation of the crime being investigated as a hate crime from HPD and I received no response.You can read the original posting here
 
I understand it is an election year and the incumbent doesn't want to be embarrassed by the crime in his City, but it is the reality. HPD should be in the business of providing accurate information , not protecting the Mayor's image.
 
And while I am on it, when was the last time you heard of Mayor Segarra visiting a shooting victim in the hospital  or even attending a vigil after a shooting? Should we expect more of this as we ramp up to Election Day? Or is it only the high profile visible cases that catch Segarra's  attention. Did he attend the vigils or even visit the families of recent homicide victims? I tend to doubt it
 
Doesn't Segarra represent all residents of Hartford, not just those that the TV cameras are following or paying attention to, and shouldn't we also know if someone is targeting a specific group with hatred? Why does it take a Pastor being shot to result in action when a 17 year old murdered with a gunshot to the head and 3 homicides in as many days did not, those crimes  hardly resulted in a response from the Mayor?

Sunday, May 24, 2015

PLEASE DON'T DO THIS AT HOME...OR ANYWHERE ELSE

I think we have all seen it. A parent or grandparent with a toddler riding on their lap as they mow the lawn with a riding mower. It is a recipe for disaster with tragic consequences as the Courant story below details. It looks like fun for the toddler , until they fall and you run over them. Please think twice and find another way to entertain them.

From the Courant:
 Clinton , CT- A 4-year-old boy suffered severe injuries to his right hand after he fell off a riding mower and his right hand went under the mower deck, police said.
The boy was riding on the mower with his father when he slipped off, police said.
The boy was taken by ambulance to Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Police are investigating the incident, which was reported at 8:10 p.m. at a home on Menunketesuck Drive.