On March 11, 2017, at approximately 7:01pm, HPD patrol officers responded to the area of 2621 Main Street in response to a report of an armed robbery and carjacking. The victim reported that he had arranged to meet with an unknown individual to purchase an i-Phone solicited on the on-line internet site "Offer Up.".
The victim was approached by three suspects, one of which produced a firearm. The armed suspect struck the victim with the firearm and took possession of various personal items, money, and the victims vehicle. The victim received emergency medical care on scene for a head injury. Further investigation of the incident was later assigned to Major Crimes Division Detectives.
HPD Detectives were able to develop probable cause to charge a suspect, Raekwon Gaines, in connection to the incident.
An arrest warrant was drafted, and later approved by a Superior Court Judge, charging Gaines with Robbery 1st Degree, Conspiracy Robbery 1st Degree, Larceny 2nd Degree, Conspiracy Larceny 2nd Degree, and Conspiracy Larceny 3rd Degree.
Members of the HPD/U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force began actively investigating and attempting to locate Raekwon Gaines.
On June 7, 2017, intelligence was received that Gaines was present at 17 Barbour Street, Hartford, CT. A surveillance operation was conducted by HPD Detectives and USDM Perreault that subsequently led to the safe apprehension of Gaines without injury or incident. Raekwon Gaines was transported to the Major Crimes Division for debrief then booked and processed for the aforementioned charges.
Gaines is currently being held on a $500,000 bond.
Arrested: Raekwon Gaines (dob 5/24/96) of 17 Barbour Street, Hartford, CT
Charges: Robbery 1st Degree, Conspiracy Robbery 1st Degree, Larceny 2nd Degree, Conspiracy Larceny
2nd Degree, and Conspiracy Larceny 3rd Degree
These on-line transactions like “Offer-Up” and “Craigslist” continue to be a problem for HPD.
Please, if you are using one of these sites for a transaction, conduct the transaction in the safe HPD parking lot.
I received this e-mail today from the wife of a Hartford Police Officer, condemning the ignorant remarks of Hartford's 3rd District State Representative Minnie Gonzalez. Gonzalez made her remarks before the Legislature's General Assembly regarding a Police Accountability bill.
This e-mail lays out the facts quite clearly. Just for the record, the officer's wife did identify herself by name in the e-mail. I chose not to identify her since I haven't spoke with her
I am the proud wife of a Hartford Police Officer and Air Force Veteran. The men
and women of the Hartford Police Department are some of the finest people I
know, and have more integrity than you could ever wish to have. They serve
their communities with pride, dedication, and distinction. These officers put
their lives on the line every single day, for little pay, little recognition,
and with very little support from elected politicians. These men and women go
into their neighborhoods every day truly trying to make a difference, something
you know nothing about.
The comments made by you on June 5, 2017 in defense of bill
HB6663 were appalling, ignorant, and unnecessary. while you stated that you
support the HPD and its officers, your statements were a direct contradiction to
that. Let me address them one by one.
You stated that the officers were cowboys with guns, and
bats. I'm not sure I have ever seen them wear cowboy hats or boots to work, I
have seen officers on horseback, however they were not herding cattle. I have
seen my husband come home with blood on his boots and tears in his eyes as he
has faced some of the most horrific acts humans can do to one another. I've
watched him on phone calls with other officers, consoling them as they attempted
to come to terms with the suicide call, or child abuse case, or the senseless
murders that occur all too frequently.
You stated that there are good and bad cops, you are correct.
There are far more good ones than bad, which is more than I can say for
politicians. The vast majority of police officers joined the force to do good,
to make a change, and to be positive influences in their communities.
You stated that HPD officers have good pay, good benefits,
and a good pension. What you fail to mention is that their good pay comes from
countless hours of overtime, or road jobs (which are not paid for by the city,
and the city actually makes money off of,) you fail to mention the missed
birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and special occasions they have missed in
order to protect your ignorance. From my understanding, you get paid a hefty
stipend for being an elected official, receive benefits, and will receive a
pension.
You stated that "you" pay for the officers lunch and dinner.
I'm not sure how you determined that, as I send my husband with his meals daily,
while he works his 16 hour shifts. He frequently comes home with his meals still
in his bag, as they do not get a lunch break, and is often lucky if he can even
get a bite in between calls.
You stated that these "cowboys" are killing young kids in our
community with no consequences, and this abuse needs to stop. Since 2005 there
have been 20 Officer Involved Shootings according to HPD data. That's one
shooting every 219 days by an officer. Considering the amount of public
interaction, and the calls for service this equates to a less than 1% chance of
being shot by a police officer in Hartford. The last time a person
was killed by a police officer in Hartford was in 2013, a whole 4
years ago, and it was entirely justified. Again, your ignorance is glaring, and
your abuse of police officers needs to be stopped.
You stated that you pass laws frequently to protect, and
train police officers. The training is mandated by the State of CT,
and you have done nothing to indemnify, or protect officers of your community.
In fact, based on your history, I am not even sure how you can remain in office.
Your family has been called a "crime syndicate." You have been found guilty of
elections violations, you have the "Minnie Gonzalez Little League", which
receives over $75,000 a year in tax payer money, and is managed by your husband.
In fact it seems as if you have a significant conflict of interest in presenting
or debating any type of law enforcement bill, as taking power away from the
police directly benefits you and your family.
It is very easy to sit in your safe office and make ignorant,
untrue statements towards our officers. They need your support not your
condemnation. You lack integrity, honesty, and decency. You should take a ride
along with a Hartford Police Officer on a Saturday night during the summer, and
see what they are exposed to. Have you ever taken simulation training? I'm sure
you would not make accurate split second decisions that you expect from our
officers. You truly should be ashamed of your statements against HPD and in fact
should issue a very public apology for condemning them in the way you did.
I remember years ago there was a bumper sticker "WHO NEEDS POLICE?...EVERYONE"
I don't think that could ever be truer than it is today, but we seem to be losing sight of that.
Yesterday, Connecticut's House of Representatives debated a bill aimed at Police Brutality.
Abusive officers can not be tolerated,and theHartford Police has done a pretty good job of dealing with the issue but Representative Gonzalez of Hartford seemed to paint Law Enforcement Officers with a pretty wide brush yesterday. Gonzalez also seemed to not have a problem with incorrect information during her rant.
Despite her comments, Hartford Police Officers do not get free meals or get their meals paid for as part of their lucrative benefits. And they don't carry "bats".
The Connecticut State Police do get a meal allowance, but that is as a result of a Collective Bargaining agreement approved by the same Legislative body that Representative Gonzalez is a member of.
Although Gonzalez portrays the men and women of Law Enforcement as "Cowboys" with "Bats and Guns". ( I think she probably meant badges and guns, but I'm sure for her performance, cops with bats probably fit her image better)
The other three videos below are just an example of what Police Officers in Hartford and across our Country face every day as they work to protect us.
The officers in these videos exhibit great restraint and professionalism as they deal with unruly parties. Listen to the anguish in the officers voice as he tries to talk a gunman down before he had to shoot him to protect his and others lives. Watch the Philadelphia Officer as he puts up with the rant and behavior of a drunk or impaired TV reporter. I doubt many of us mere mortals could show the restraint this officer did. At the very least she should have received a face full of pepper spray or a Taser dart .
The last video has some pretty poor police tactics as a suspect pulls a gun from his waistband and opens fire on the officers , as they talked to him the entire time before the shooting and treated him with respect. I think it shows the human side and how bad things can go bad with our officers. There clearly is only instinct and survival mode as these incidents unwrap very quickly.
And yes, they are still humans doing a tough job.
This type of behavior is more the rule than the exception.
Representative Gonzalez and her fellow critics need to get out of the confines of their Sanctuary at the Capitol and get in touch with what goes on on our streets.
Maybe we should think about replacing dead trees on City property to show we support green energy and a cleaner environment. But no, instead we are going to burn electricity all night to bathe City Hall in a sea of green protest. (or support as Mayor Bronin calls it)
I wonder if anyone ever considered bathing City Hall in pink out of respect for the Komen Race for the Cure to support the efforts to raise funds to combat breast cancer and support research being held in Hartford this weekend.
That probably isn't enough of a political statement for the administration ''
Bronin Press Release:
HARTFORD CITY HALL TO BE LIT GREEN IN SUPPORT OF PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT
HARTFORD, CONN (June 2, 2017) – At the direction of Mayor Luke Bronin, Hartford City Hall will be lit green tonight to signal Connecticut’s opposition to the federal government’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, and to underline Hartford’s significant efforts to conserve energy, increase the number of green jobs, and support the quality of neighborhood life for residents. Earlier today, Governor Malloy added Connecticut to a coalition of states committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement.
“The decision to abandon the Paris Climate Agreement is an unforgivable surrender of American leadership on one of the most important issues of our time,” said Mayor Bronin. “In virtually every other country in the world, the debate is about how to confront climate change responsibly – not the absurd idea that it’s a ‘hoax’ created by China. Not only do we have a moral responsibility to reduce carbon emissions, we should also be seizing the opportunity to build a robust green jobs economy by investing clean energy.”
The Mayor continued, saying, “I’m proud to join with cities and states around the country to commit to filling the void on environmental responsibility that this decision leaves. In Hartford, we are on the path to reduce our energy consumption by 20% by 2018 with the dedicated work of City employees and leadership of our Climate Stewardship Council.”
As a signatory of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, Hartford has committed to both reducing overall energy consumption by 20% and increasing renewable energy use by 20% across its City operations by next year. Significant progress has been made towards that goal through building energy retrofits, the recent launch of a cutting-edge fuel cell microgrid in the Parkville neighborhood that will reduce carbon emissions by 40% in connected buildings, the solar array at the landfill in North Meadows, the streetlight overhaul across the City, and a number of other smaller renewable energy projects.
To achieve the 20% reduction goal, the 30-member Climate Stewardship Council, which includes stakeholders from a cross-section of nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies, will finalize the community’s Climate Action Plan and chart the path towards further emissions reductions. The City recently hired a 100% grant-funded Sustainability Coordinator to assist in those efforts.
The front desk at HPD , known as Teleserve, is supposed to be a secure area surrounded by bullet proof ballistic glass.
That bullet proof ballistic glass was put to the test on May 27,2017 by a 40 year old female who attacked the window with a "rusted bike pedal" shattering the $2300.00 glass.
Hopefully the glass will prove more durable if it is ever challenged by an actual bullet instead of the rusty bike pedal. Maybe the next Legislative session can ban the possession of rusty bike pedals without a permit, opening another revenue stream for our cash strapped State.
The State of Connecticut is at a budget stalemate, unable to pass a State budget before their adjournment next week. That stalemate will most likely require additional money for a special Legislative session(s), adding to the State's deficit.
The State of California had a similar dilemma a few years ago. The California Comptroller came up with a simple solution. No California Legislator would receive a paycheck until a budget was in place.
California's budget crisis was quickly solved and a budget was passed promptly,
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.