You would think by this point, the City of Hartford would be tired of being ridiculed for its lack of snowplowing "prowess". I think it also shows that many of Hartford's budget cuts and layoffs are coming from the wrong end of the City Hall employment spectrum. Maybe instead of a Blight Manager, we should employ 3 or 4 more plow operators with that salary. Maybe a couple less attorney's in Corp Counsel, and a few more laborers to clear the streets. Maybe instead of Attorney's in DPW , we find a person who knows which end of a snowplow should be touching the street during plow operations.
It is not "rocket science " as the saying goes.
Today , when I saw the poor condition of Farmington Avenue and Sigourney Street, a major intersection, I told myself I couldn't just complain. I thought in fairness,I needed to check and see if maybe chemicals weren't working right because of the low temperature. I risked life and limb on Hartford's streets and ventured west to the City line.
I knew I had arrived in West Hartford when I was blinded by the sun shining off the newly fallen snow and the reflection of the sun off the wet, clear pavement. Why does a few feet and a City
Line sign make such a difference?
Then I recalled Pedro Segarra's explanation during the last Mayoral campaign. It is those suburban scoundrels coming into Hartford and sweeping the snow off their cars, crippling Hartford's traffic.Maybe Mayor Bronin can ask them not to do that....please.....during his "Bail out Hartford" regional tour.
I also understand the problems of clearing City streets with vehicles left on the streets. But I also realize that there has to be a better way to get the message out, not just when a storm is impending. It just seems some what immoral to declare a parking ban, tow residents vehicles and subject them to fees of over $200.00 per vehicle if we don't then properly plow those streets after we tow.
I know HPD tries to coordinate those efforts, but there is a breakdown somewhere. It also seems wrong to ask residents to park in school lots and then tow the cars that obey the ban because they don't get their cards back onto the un-plowed streets soon enough when the ban ends.
If we can put up the "blue light special" strobes , why can't we identify the first ten or fifteen spots in school lots as "tow free zones" for residents to park so as to not obstruct school operations. Many of these residents who are towed are Hartford's "working poor" and are quite possibly sleeping at 11:00am or whatever time they now face the Board of Education imposed towing because they are coming home from working two or three jobs just to survive
And for the dozens of residents who were towed from school lots today, let me ask why? What was the rush? Just to show that they can still be controlled? Hartford's Schools were closed today due to the snow. They are closed for the weekend, and Monday is a holiday. But I guess the Hartford BOE proved its point, they are in charge of school properties, even though those same residents they towed pay the bills for those properties.
PARK AND WASHINGTON STREETS
DOWNTOWN, SHOULD BE INTERESTING FOR XL CENTER EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
FARMINGTON AVENUE AND SIGOURNEY STREET
HOW DOES WEST HARTFORD DO IT RIGHT? BARE PAVEMENT, NO SNOW AND CURB TO CURB
This e-mail was sent to me this morning to explain why there wasn't signage to identify the reason for flashing blue lights around the City.
Dear Mr. Brookman,
Thank you for your blog post on the blue light program. Your blog is widely read and I appreciate your help in spreading awareness of the meaning of the flashing blue lights. Please note that the City has installed signage at two locations: Sisson and West & Park and Main. These two locations are gateways to the areas of the City where we encounter the highest frequency of non-compliance with parking bans. These locations are also proximate to entrances to two of the newly-created free resident snow storm parking areas. Additional signs have already been manufactured and will be placed as soon as possible. Every blue light will be accompanied by a sign. This brief delay was due to a backorder situation on the DOT standard wire-span hanger brackets. Alternative brackets have been identified and are now in transit to the City. Installation will proceed immediately and take approximately two days. We are working as quickly as possible to reduce incidents of ticketing and towing while ensuring the ability of DPW operators to clear the streets curb-to-curb. Again, thank you for getting this information out.
No, it is not an unannounced blue light special at K-Mart ( am I really showing my age by saying that or even knowing what it means?)
I have received several calls tonight asking if I knew why blue lights were flashing at intersections around Hartford. Apparently not too many people follow the Bronin dog and pony shows or they might have known the answer.
Blue strobe lights have been installed around the City to flash brightly when a parking ban has been issued by the City for a snowstorm and to warn residents.
Clearly with the number of phone calls I received tonight, they do draw attention , but what good are they if no one know why they are there ?
Flatbush Avenue at Walmart entrance
The "blue light" plan was apparently copied from New Haven and not K-Mart, but maybe we should have copied the entire plan from New Haven DPW, including the appropriate signage to let people know what the lights are for. It just seem t make sense
Signage for New Haven DPW blue lights
From the City:A parking ban will be in place for the City of Hartford beginning at 8 p.m. today. All on-street parking is prohibited throughout the City of Hartford beginning at 8 p.m. today February 8, and ending at 8 a.m. Friday, February 10th. All Hartford District Public Schools parking lots will be available for use. However, cars must be moved from the lots by 11 a.m. Friday. For more information, visit www.hartford.gov/snow-parking. Parking is also available at city parks, recreation and senior centers and the new "Blue Light Lots".
With a major snow storm predicted for tomorrow, a parking ban for Hartford's streets is an almost certainty.
Every time there is a parking ban, dozens, if not hundreds, of people get their cars towed in order for plows to clear our streets. This is an expensive proposition for the owners of the vehicles when they recover their cars with both the tickets an the towing fees.
In this age of modern technology and "smart phones" there is no reason for anyone to say they were unaware of a parking ban.
HPD Deputy Chief Foley has posted a link to the City of Hartford that allows anyone to be notified by text message of a parking ban. For anyone that visits Hartford or resides here and parks on Hartford's streets, take a moment and sign up. Pass it on to your neighbors or co-workers also.
To sign up click here. Here is the actual web address https://member.everbridge.net/index/453003085612170#/signup
March 13, 2017 at 10:00 am has been set as the next court date for Hartford's allegedly corrupt Mayor Eddie A. Perez
Perez'z first convictions were thrown out on appeal over procedural errors by the trial Judge, Judge Julia Dewey
Perez's case will be divided into two separate trials this time on charges of Conspiracy to commit Larceny by Extortion and and Attempt to Commit Larceny by Extortion and a second trial for Bribe Receiving, Tampering with Physical Evidence and Conspiracy to Commit Tampering with Physical Evidence
On June 4, 2016., Police Officers from the Hartford Police Department attempted to stop a reported stolen vehicle operating erratically in the Park Street area of Hartford.
The operator of the vehicle attempted to elude Police and actually struck a Hartford Police vehicle as they fled. At the time of the chase , there were also numerous radio reports that a Hartford Police Officer had been struck also.
At that point the chase was on and the pursuit wound its way through surface streets in Hartford and West Hartford until the vehicle was eventually stopped on Flatbush Avenue and its occupants taken into custody.
Apparently, shortly after the chase and arrest of the occupants, Hartford Police Chief James Rovella was made aware of the occupants arrest photos, which showed injuries to the faces and head of both males. It wasn't immediately clear if the injuries were a result of the crash that ended the pursuit or other means.
Based on that information, Chief Rovella began an Internal Affairs review of the arrest.
Almost immediately, the investigation was taken over by the Connecticut Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane and assigned to Litchfield County States Attorney David Shepack. These moves were apparently made to avoid any signs of impropriety or conflict of interest in the eyes of the public as to the Hartford Police investigating "their own" and conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.
Shepack eventually enlisted the aid of the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crimes unit to supplement his Inspectors. The investigation was apparently overseen by CSP Sergeant Brian Narkiewicz, the affiant who applied for Spell's arrest.
But thorough and impartial may be the furthest thing from what actually happened in the end.
The investigation eventually wound on for several months, ending in the arrest of only one person, Sergeant Sean Spell from the Hartford Police Department on December 8, 2016.
After the criminal aspect was done, Chief Rovella's Internal investigation was allowed to proceed. The IAD investigation was put on hold while Shepack's investigation took place so as not to compromise the criminal investigation.
Once the IAD investigation began again, it appears to be a much more thorough review of the incident than that claimed by the State Police. The same agency that was forbidden from conducting the original investigation, actually did more to get to the truth of the incident.
HPD Internal Affairs Investigators, while reviewing all of the video were drawn to one clip in particular.
It was cruiser video from a West Hartford Police dash camera from Car 22 , reportedly operated by an Officer Ed Jacovino.
According to HPD sources familiar with the IAD investigation, investigators were drawn to the very beginning of the video clip. In the chaos of the chase and subsequent activity, an apparent suspect can be seen on the ground along side the crashed vehicle. If you watch the video closely at about 4 seconds in, several plain clothes police officers can be seen around the suspect. One officer is pulling his legs and feet back toward the rear of the car, while several other officers are seen kicking the handcuffed suspect around the waist, chest, shoulders and head.
The action in the video is rather chaotic, but it doesn't appear as though the suspect is fighting back. Also, rather troubling is the audio accompanying the video. A voice is clearly heard on the video yelling "cameras, cameras" as an apparent warning to those officers with the suspect that their actions were being caught on video. A few seconds after the warning, which may have been from the wireless microphone of the officer operating West Hartford Car 22.
The suspect is stood up and walked away and then put on the ground in front of a tree, kneeling on all fours and handcuffed. That is where the Spell incident took place, the only incident that was addressed with criminal charges, although the previous incident with the kicking should have been clear to anyone that took the time to watch all of the videos.
One of the officer's identified in the video was interviewed by IAD investigators. Originally the officer denied any abusive behavior, but after several attempts , and after being given his Garrity Rights, and after being shown the video, the officer admitted that he did in fact kick the suspect several times. Again, according to sources, the officer further stated that he was upset because he was cut off several times during the pursuit, resulting in the kicks.
(**NOTE- Garrity Rights are similar to Miranda rights, but the person under Garrity is compelled during Administartive proceedings to provide information. Garrity protects the employee that if they admit to any wrongdoing, it can be used against them in Administrative proceedings , but can not be used for criminal charges. To read more about Garrity, click here http://www.garrityrights.org/
I have to say that the amount of video that was provided to me after my FOI request was rather extensive. It was time consuming to take the time to sit and watch all of it, but I would think State Police investigators, if their intent was to actually conduct a thorough investigation, would have done the same thing.
Or was their intent from the start to focus in on one target, Sergeant Spell?
Only time will tell, but if the States Attorney's intent was to really ensure public confidence and trust in Police Internal investigations, they missed the mark. And justice should be the same for everyone, regardless of any political pressure to set an example.
This posting was a tough call when I received the video. In the end though I decided that even good cops can make mistakes when the adrenaline gets pumping. No suspect, no matter what their offense, should be kicked or beaten after the handcuffs go on. It is one thing to resist arrest and suffer reasonable and appropriate force to be taken into custody, it is something totally different to be subjected to force after the situation is under control and the suspect handcuffed, no matter what the crime.
I think HPD has also shown transparency in dealing with their own, and this will build more trust and confidence with the Community than the State's Investigation did.
I have to also say, that I have had the video for about a week and have spent a lot of time deciding which way to go with it. In the end, I had several Police Officers at my home at different times to view the video. They all agreed the actions in the video were wrong and should be exposed. They also said that the officer's they recognized were "good cops", but that they were taught from day one in the Police Academy, that once the cuffs go on, all other physical actions stop. One officer even said that working alongside officers engaged in abusive behavior is a liability for all police officers and they wouldn't want to be drawn into that.
Accountability and integrity is the same, whether it is for " good cops" or elected officials or for anyone we place our trust in, and I don't have the luxury of deciding who I am going to choose to hold accountable. The standard should be the same for all. In the end, as the saying goes, "If you don't stand for something, you stand for nothing"
Comment has been requested from both the State Police and the Litchfield County States Attorney, if and when anything is received, I will update this posting
The video of the chase was actually June 4, 2016, watch closely the lower left corner of the screen and focus on the feet of the plainclothes officers along side the dark vehicle. Also listen for the officer yelling "cameras, cameras"
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS BLOG ARE STRICTLY THAT, MY OPINIONS.After getting fed up with the lack of openness in Hartford City Hall, I decided to begin a program on Hartford Public Access Television called "WE THE PEOPLE". Through tips received we have been able to expose numerous issues that the Perez Administration would prefer to keep quiet.
Any information received is kept in strict confidence, feel free to e-mail me at krbrookman@earthlink.net or call me at 860-883-2297 with any information.